Britney Spears News

Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, requested in a legal declaration filed this week that Spears pony up an additional $50,000 to pay for her former husband's legal expenses stemming from their recent divorce. [View the court docs here.]

In the court documents, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Kaplan says Spears is "clearly the 'monied party' " of the twosome and should therefore aid in paying off Federline's hefty litigation fees.

Kaplan further argued in his filing that a onetime payment of $50,000—for Spears, anyway—would amount to nothing more than pocket change, stating that her average monthly income is a whopping $737,868.

While Kaplan opted not to divulge his own client's monthly salary, he did claim that Federline, after shelling out for various unspecified expenses, has "no net income" whatsoever. Adding insult to financial injury, his monthly spousal-support payments of $20,000 from Spears will end their run in November.

Spears first filed for divorce from Federline in November 2006, two years and one month after tying the knot. The divorce was finalized in July, and the couple is now ramping up their legal battle on the custody front, fighting for guardianship of kids Sean Preston and Jayden James.

In the meantime, Spears has finally begun grabbing headlines for her professional life as well as her personal one, making good Thursday night on her threat to release new music, with the debut of her new single, "Gimme More."

The club-friendly track, which seems unmistakably vintage Spears, complete with breathy murmurings, electronic overtones and overproduced vocals, was played by Ryan Seacrest Friday morning on his KIIS-FM radio show. (Click in to hear the track.)

The song begins with Spears heralding her comeback—"It's Britney, bitch"—and ends with the song's producer, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills, telling listeners, "Bet you didn't see this coming."

People reports that her long gestating fifth studio album is due for release on Nov. 13, and it is expected to hit store shelves with little to no promotional fanfare.

On Wednesday, Ne-Yo told Seacrest he had offered some songs to Spears for the album but wasn't sure if any of them would make the final cut, thanks to some lingering feelings of anger after the producer allowed Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger to record some of the songs originally earmarked for Spears.

As part of her much needed professional comeback, Spears is widely rumored to be taking to the stage in an unbilled performance at the MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 9. She's also due to host the opening of LAX nightclub in Las Vegas tonight, though she is not scheduled to perform at the event.