Paris Hilton sympathises with Lindsay Lohan as her former pal begins her latest stint in rehab because the socialite is convinced the actress lacks the support system she had when she struggled through her own legal troubles.

The embattled Mean Girls star checked in to the Betty Ford Clinic in California on Friday (03May13) to start her 90-day court-ordered stay after a headline-grabbing 24 hours, during which Lohan switched treatment programmes from an approved New York facility to one in Los Angeles, and risked arrest after leaving the centre less than an hour after signing in.

Her mother Dina and estranged father Michael have already started blaming one another for their daughter's issues, and Hilton fears their bickering could be hampering Lohan's recovery - because she relied heavily on her mum and dad when she was battling her past drug problems.

She says, "I think it all comes down to family. I'm very lucky to have such an amazing family and I think some people aren't that fortunate."

However, Hilton insists she is rooting for Lohan to overcome her personal demons: "I've known her (Lohan) for a long time. I haven't seen her in a while but I wish her the best... Hopefully this (rehab stint) helps her."

The hotel heiress appears to have turned her life around after a string of drug and alcohol-related arrests in recent years, which included a stint behind bars in 2007. Her last arrest for cocaine possession in 2010 landed her 200 hours of community service, $2,000 (£1,250) in fines, and an order to complete a substance abuse programme. The case was closed in 2011.