Photographer Larry Birkhead and his attorney have parted company as the latest battle in the snapper's paternity battle over Anna Nicole Smith's child gets underway in the Bahamas.

Lawyer Debra Opri has issued a statement this morning, confirming the split, saying, "Larry Birkhead and I have terminated our attorney-client relationship effective immediately."

Opri has since spoken to US news show Extra as part of an interview that will air later today.

She reveals she felt she had to part company with her former client because she didn't agree with Birkhead's apparent friendship with his paternity battle rival Howard K. Stern.

Opri tells the TV show, "I just had enough. I can't represent a client who has a middle man by the name of Howard K. Stern. I feel very comfortable in my decision, and I wish Larry the best. But I am worried about him... I couldn't continue with the way things were going."

Reports have suggested Birkhead and Stern are close to coming to a financial settlement about the future of the baby both claim is theirs.

A Bahamian attorney will represent Birkhead as he fights for custody of baby Dannielynn today in the Bahamas.

As of press time Birkhead had not retained new counsel in America. The photographer has been demanding a DNA test on the baby since late last year after insisting he's the Dannielynn's biological father. Stern, Anna Nicole's longtime companion and lawyer, maintains he's the father, as stated on the baby's birth certificate.

Go to Anna Nicole Smith's Starpulse Page for lots more, including photos, bio, and more!

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)