Britney Spears' Conservatorship Officially Ends

By Daniel S. Levine

Britney Spears' 13-year conservatorship is over. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny said the conservatorship should be terminated immediately during a hearing on Friday, reports The New York Times. The conservatorship was established in 2008 to oversee her life and finances and became the center of a public fight between Spears and her father, Jamie Spears, who was acting as conservator of her estate. Spears' fiance, Sam Asghari, celebrated the news, writing on Instagram, "History was made today. Britney is Free!"

"As of today, effective immediately, the conservatorship has been terminated as both the person and the estate," Spears' attorney, Mathew Rosengart, said outside the court, reports CNN. "This is a monumental day for Britney Spears. What's next for Britney, and this is the first time this could be said for about a decade, is up to one person, Britney."

During the hearing, Rosengart and Laurie Ann Wright, an attorney for temporary conservator Jodi Montgomery, said they filed a termination plan for the conservatorship on Monday, reports Variety. Details of the plan are sealed, but Rosengart told Penny there is a "safety net" for Spears' personal and financial affairs. "We have engaged in an orderly transition of power," he said. Accountant John Zabel will still have a "limited and administrative power" under the termination plan.

The conservatorship came under increased scrutiny in recent years by fans and outside observers, who wondered why the conservatorship had lasted for more than a decade. In June, Spears, 39, made her first public comments about the conservatorship in court, making shocking allegations against her conservators. She claimed she was forced to use a birth control device, couldn't get married, was forced to take medication, and made to work against her will. She accused her father of orchestrating the conservatorship.

Since then, a quick series of events led to Penny's decision on Friday. After Spears was finally allowed to pick her own attorney and hired Rosengart, Jamie surprisingly asked the court to consider terminating the conservatorship, even as he denied wrongdoing. He wanted to stay on until a replacement was found, but Penny removed him immediately in late September. Zabel was picked to serve as temporary conservator of Spears' estate while Montgomery would remain conservator of Spears' person until a firm decision was made on the conservatorship's future.

Before Friday's hearing, Jamie's attorneys filed a new document, asking the court to end the conservatorship. "Jamie unconditionally loves and supports his daughter. Full stop. As he has done for her entire life, Jamie will do everything he can to protect and care for her. For the last 13 years, that included serving as her Conservator. Now, it means ending her Conservatorship," the documents read. He again stood by his previous decisions, believing he was making the best decisions for his daughter, but now agreed the arrangement needed to end. "Jamie is willing to stipulate to the immediate termination of the Conservatorship without reservation or exception," his attorneys wrote.

Although the conservatorship is terminated, there are still some legal proceedings left. The next hearings were scheduled for Dec. 8 and Jan. 19.

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