Britney Spears has had a major win in her ongoing battle to end her 13-year court-ordered conservatorship.
On Wednesday (US time), a Los Angeles judge suspended the singer's dad, Jamie Spears from the conservatorship, effective immediately.
“The current situation is not tenable,” said Judge Brenda Penny at a court hearing, where Britney was not present but her parents, Jamie and Lynn, watched on via Zoom.
The judge said the arrangement where Jamie had been the conservator of Britney's $60 million estate was depictive of a "toxic environment" and now a certified public accountant will take over as temporary conservator of the estate.
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Britney's attorney, Matthew Rosengart has called for a hearing for a review and complete termination of the conservatorship within 30 to 45 days.
“The conservatorship can and should be wound up and terminated promptly – ideally this fall... Britney Spears deserves to have her father out of her life as a conservator, today," he said.
The past few months have seen Britney taking legal action in a bid to break from her father's financial, professional, and emotional control.
The conservatorship had enabled Jamie to be paid a monthly salary of $16,000 (AU$22,300), and Britney's lawyer, Rosengart had argued that the father and daughter's estranged relationship, as well as Jamie’s alleged “potential misconduct” in handling the singer's fortune, were among the several reasons why he should no longer serve as her conservator.
Earlier this month Jamie filed a petition to end the conservatorship, a month after he had said he would step down from her conservatorship.
"As Mr. Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter. If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes that she should get that chance," read part of a court filing obtained by CNN.
Jamie originally led the push to establish Britney’s conservatorship in 2008, where he served as both the conservator of her person and estate. However, in recent years his role diminished.
In 2019, Jodi Montgomery became temporary conservator of Britney's person after Jamie fell ill, and then in February 2021, a judge approved Britney's team's motion to appoint Bessemer Trust Co. as a co-conservator of her estate.
Britney's conservatorship has gained worldwide attention, in part due to the fan-led #FreeBritney movement and various documentaries that have been released examining the singer's case and the US conservatorship system at large.
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