When is conservatorship necessary & when is it unjust?
Britney Spears is subject to a court-imposed conservatorship (in most other states this structure is referred to as a guardianship). This means that a court has determined she is unable to provide properly for her food, clothing, or shelter. The court has granted her conservators the legal right to make decisions for her.
Conservatorships are usually reserved for people who have severe mental disabilities or elderly folks who suffer from dementia and cannot make sound decisions for themselves.
Jamie Spears (her father) has held that position since 2008, when the conservatorship was created.
In early 2008 Jamie petitioned for an emergency temporary conservatorship. In October 2008 the judge made the conservatorship permanent. Jamie was named conservator of the person (Britney) and attorney Andrew Wallet as assigned co-conservator of the estate to help Jamie manage all of Britney's financial affairs.
In According to Forbes, Jamie has made at least $5 million from Britney’s conservatorship. Per court documents reviewed by Forbes, Britney has had to pay her father $16,000 per month since February 2009 as her conservator. In 12 years, that amount has equaled to $2.4 million. November 2020, Britney Spears filed to have her father, Jamie Spears, be removed as conservator of her estate.
Per a 2021 report by The New York Times, Jamie has also received a cut of Britney’s touring revenues. For only one example, The New York Times also reports that Jamie received a 2.95 percent commission from Britney’s 2011 Femme Fatale tour, which would have made him at least $500,000. Again, that is only one tour example & he also profited off other tours.
In "addition" to her court-ordered salary payments to her father, Britney has had to pay for Jamie’s $2,000-per-month office, which has cost her almost $300,000 in 12 years.
Britney has also had to pay estimated to be millions of dollars in legal fees for both her attorney and Jamie’s legal fees. Did I read that correctly??? She had to pay her father's legal fees. According to Forbes, court records from 2018 to 2019 reveal that Jamie’s law firm at the time, Freeman, Freeman and Smiley, charged Britney $170,000 for her father’s legal fees.
Watch the documentary "Framing Britney Spears" which reveals who’s making money off the pop icon’s career.
Andrew Wallet has served as the pop star's conservator for more than 10 years between 2008-2019. Britney claimed that Wallet made nearly half a million dollars a year for at least five years working for her, she feels that he is quite expensive for his role.
Court documents released on June 30, 2021 read: "The conservatee's request to suspend JAMES P. SPEARS immediately upon the appointment of BESSEMER TRUST COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA, N.A. as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice."
Britney Spears is 39 years old. Does a 39 year old typically require parental guardianship?
Should the court free Britney?
Learn more about Britney Spears.