Britney Spears Is Officially Free From Her 13-Year Conservatorship — What Will Happen Next
Will her team be investigated?
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock After more than 13 years of Britney Spears being under a conservatorship today’s court hearing may finally terminated it.
Friday’s hearing took place at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse and the Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny finally agreed to end the conservatorship over the singer's life and estate.
“The conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” she said.
Jamie Spears had largely been in control of the star’s fiances and Britney has repeatedly criticized his tyrannical control on her life.
Allegations began after Spears’s testimony of her father’s mismanagement, secret surveillance and even preventing Spears from having another baby by keeping her IUD device in.
What happens now that Britney Spears's conservatorship has ended?
Now that the conservatorship is no more, the next stages are crucial to ensure the pop icon seamlessly transitions into the life she has been hoping for.
Conservatorships are intended for non-functioning individuals, usually older people or those with physical or mental limitations. Even if Spears needed to be under a conservatorship in 2008, she has since continued to tour and make money off her Las Vegas residency.
However, the termination of the conservatorship is by no means be the end.
Since Spears has not had control over her personal and financial affairs for so many years, it may take a long time to make that transition into freedom.
If the conservatorship is dissolved Spears will likely hire financial managers and assistants to perform these duties. However, their decisions will be subject to the star’s approval, unlike the conservatorship where decisions were made for her.
Currently, John Zabel, the certified public accountant who took over the estate in September, will retain his position and will continue to manage Spears's estate planning as well managing the transfer of funds into an existing trust for Spears.
Britney Spears's team want the conservatorship to be investigated.
Given the years of alleged abuse Spears endured under the conservatorship, the singer does not plan on going quietly and wants to see justice.
Her lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, has said he will push for Jamie Spears and the estate’s former business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, to be investigated for financial mismanagement.
New York Times journalist Samantha Stark, director of Controlling Britney Spears, says to Sky News, “It's so rare that a conservatorship ends. Something that we found in our reporting is that it really felt like Britney's support system was taken away from her. We heard over and over again, people say 'I wanted to help Britney, I'm her friend and I wasn't allowed to talk to her', or 'I feel like they weren't turning her against me'.”
Also, Spears’ attorney Matthew Rosengart called for an investigation into Jamie Spears’ handling of the conservatorship along with those who worked in Spears’ team and people involved in the arrangement.
How will this affect other conservatorships?
Following Spears’ bombshell testimony in June two members of the US Congress proposed a bill to reform the system.
“The #FreeBritney movement has brought to light that this is a human rights movement,” Dr Kennedy says. "It's not just about one person. [Spears' case] has educated people. The public has gotten engaged, legislators on a bipartisan basis - which hardly ever happens - have gotten engaged.”
About 1.3 million guardianship or conservatorship cases are active at any given time in the US.
Sydney Taylor is a writer who focuses on News and Entertainment topics.