Only the involvement of a major celebrity can turn a “dry” legal issue such as conservatorship into a major news story. Britney Spears’ conservatorship case managed to do the trick, however. Spear’s case drew further interest because her father was her conservator. This position gave him considerable control over both her lifestyle and her fortune. A court terminated the conservatorship in 2021, after nearly 14 years.
If you need to create or terminate a conservatorship, remember that our attorney Graham D. Douds focuses on conservatorships and closely related matters.
What Is a Conservatorship?
A conservatorship is a grant of power over an incapacitated individual (the “conservatee”) in favor of someone who the court entrusts to make decisions for the incapacitated person (the “conservator”). Depending on the type of conservatorship granted, it can be temporary or permanent. It can include authority over the conservatee’s financial decisions, personal decisions, or both.
Originally, conservatorships were designed with the elderly in mind. This is because elderly people often suffer cognitive decline and dementia, or medical conditions that render them unable to communicate their decisions.
Nevertheless, courts also grant conservatorships over younger people, such as Britney Spears, if they exhibit similar disabilities. Theoretically, it is relatively easy to obtain a temporary emergency conservatorship, but it is difficult and time-consuming to obtain a permanent conservatorship.
Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Case
Britney Spears’ conservatorship would have continued indefinitely if she had not successfully petitioned the court to terminate it. During this time, she earned millions of dollars as a world-class entertainer — but she enjoyed unfettered access to none of it. She also lacked the legal autonomy to make her own decisions. During most of the period of the conservatorship, her father served as her conservator.
Why Was Britney Spears Put Under Conservatorship?
A California court originally placed Britney Spears under conservatorship in 2008 after a series of bizarre incidents, including:
- Shaving her head;
- Attacking the paparazzi with an umbrella;
- Locking herself in a room with one of her children to avoid handing them over to the child’s father.
Timeline of the Britney Spears Conservatorship Case
- January 2008: Britney is hospitalized after refusing to relinquish custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline. She is placed under a 72-hour psychiatric hold.
- February 2008: A California court approves a temporary conservatorship for Britney, with father Jamie Spears as conservator.
- October 2008: The conservatorship case transitions from temporary to permanent.
- March 2019: Lawyer Andrew Wallet resigns as co-conservator, leaving Jamie Spears as sole conservator.
- September 2019: Jamie temporarily steps down as conservator of her person, with Jodi Montgomery taking over.
- August 2020: Britney’s legal team indicates she “strongly opposes” her father as conservator and files to make Jodi Montgomery her permanent conservator.
- November 2020: A judge appoints financial company Bessemer Trust as co-conservator alongside Jamie Spears.
- February 2021: The “Framing Britney Spears” documentary renews public interest in the #FreeBritney movement.
- June 2021: Spears spoke publicly in court for the first time, calling the conservatorship “abusive” and asking for it to end.
- July 2021: Britney is allowed to hire her own lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, who files to remove Jamie as conservator.
- September 2021: Jamie Spears files to end the conservatorship. Later that month, the judge suspends him as conservator.
- November 12, 2021: Judge Brenda Penny terminates the conservatorship completely.
What Type of Conservatorship Was Britney Under?
The court placed Britney Spears under both financial and personal conservatorships. The conservatorship was initially temporary, but the court made it permanent later. She was not entitled to make the final decision in any area of her life. Any decision she made was subject to a veto by her conservator. Nevertheless, her conservator was legally bound to act in Britney’s best interests.
Her father resigned as her personal conservator in 2019, and the court replaced him with a court-appointed professional. Nevertheless, her father remained in charge of her finances until 2021.
Why Did Britney’s Conservatorship Last So Long?
No consensus has emerged about why Britney Spears’ conservatorship lasted nearly 14 years. It is true that her conservatorship, being permanent, was of indefinite duration. Nevertheless, she could have ended it at any time by taking the initiative to petition the court to formally terminate the conservatorship and convince the court that she didn’t need it anymore.
Graham Douds, conservatorship attorney at Barr & Douds Attorneys, speculates that Britney simply didn’t understand her rights under California conservatorship law. He believes the case could reveal flaws in the California conservatorship system that must be addressed.
Why Did Britney Want Her Father Out as a Conservator?
As late as August 2020, Britney’s attorney stated that Britney had not spoken to her father in “a long time” and that she feared him. Britney strongly opposed her father’s position as either a personal or financial conservator. Some of the claims made by Britney or her attorney include:
- She was unaware of the actions that her father was taking concerning her finances, and she did not believe her father was acting in her best interests;
- Her father forced her to take Lithium against her wishes; resulting in negative side effects;
- The conservatorship team refused to allow her to remove her IUD because they did not want her to get pregnant;
- The conservatorship team forced her to attend therapy sessions at a facility where they knew the paparazzi were present;
- Her father’s conduct was “abusive”;
- Her overall experience was a “nightmare”.
The foregoing list is not a complete record of all of the allegations that Britney has made against her father and the conservatorship team. Remember, however, that these are allegations, not necessarily established facts.
What Happened After the Conservatorship Ended: 2021-2025 Updates
When the Los Angeles Superior Court terminated the Britney Spears conservatorship in November 2021, it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the pop star. After 13 years of having virtually every aspect of her existence controlled, Britney finally regained her autonomy and began rebuilding her life while her case continued to influence legal reform.
Key developments in the aftermath of Britney’s conservatorship include:
- Personal freedom (2022-2023): Britney married Sam Asghari in June 2022 (though they later divorced in early 2024), celebrated basic freedoms like driving her own car, and made independent decisions about her personal life for the first time in over a decade.
- Career decisions (2022-2023): Spears released new music in August 2022, including a collaboration with Elton John titled “Hold Me Closer,” marking her first professional project completed entirely under her own direction without conservatorship oversight.
- Telling her story (2023): Britney published her memoir “The Woman in Me” in October 2023, which became an immediate bestseller. In it, she detailed her experiences and made serious allegations about her father Jamie and former business manager Lou Taylor.
- Legal reform (2025): The “Free Britney Act” was implemented in California, creating stricter oversight for conservatorships and mandating regular reviews of existing arrangements. This legislation directly addresses many of the issues highlighted when Spears spoke about her experiences.
- Financial resolution (2025): A California court ruled in Britney’s favor regarding legal fees in the conservatorship dispute, ordering Jamie Spears to cover his own expenses rather than drawing from his daughter’s estate. Court documents revealed that this landmark decision has set precedent for other conservatorship cases.
- Accountability and advocacy (2025): Britney’s legal battles with her former business manager Lou Taylor reached resolution through a settlement, while Britney herself has become an advocate for conservatorship reform, with plans to release a documentary about her experiences.
The legal dispute that once controlled every aspect of Britney’s existence has transformed into a movement for change that extends far beyond the pop star herself. Her case has prompted courts nationwide to reexamine how conservatorships are granted, monitored, and terminated, leaving a lasting impact on the conservatorship system throughout the United States.
Should the Idea of Conservatorship Be Improved?
The Britney Spears conservatorship case has triggered second thoughts in legal circles concerning the concept and execution of the conservatorship system. There are no calls to end the system completely. Society still needs the conservatorship system. Indeed, some people probably could not live without it. Many legal professionals, however, have been mulling over ideas on how to reform the system.
Considering Britney Spears’ lack of understanding of her rights, it seems reasonable to add additional safeguards to the system to ensure that conservatees will know their rights, including their right to seek termination of the conservatorship arrangement.
Of course, ensuring that conservatees know their rights will not always be possible since some conservatees (those with severe dementia, for example) are incapable of understanding these rights or exercising them. Further safeguards might allow high-functioning conservatees more autonomy over their affairs even while under conservatorship.
What Does Being Free of Conservatorship Mean for Britney?
What does the termination of her conservatorship mean for Britney? She said it herself. “I deserve to have a life.” It means she is now in control of her life again. Whether this development turns out well or badly remains to be seen.
Conclusion
For more information from one of our most prominent attorneys, see Graham Douds’ interview on YouTube, where he discusses the Spears case in some detail. If you are facing a conservatorship issue and you need a free initial consultation, contact Barr & Douds, either online or by telephone at (925) 660-7544.
