What is a Conservatorship?

Under U.S. law, conservatorship is the appointment of a guardian or a protector by a judge to manage the financial affairs and daily life of another person due to old age or physical or mental limitations. The two different parts of the conservatorship are of the “estate,” or financial affairs, and of the “person,” which includes the overseeing of daily activities, health care and living arrangements of the “conservatee.”

Timeline of the Conservatorship

According to Billboard, Britney Spears entered the hospital twice Jan. 3 and 31 in 2008, and was placed on a 5150 hold, which is a psychiatric hold for mental evaluation. She was officially put in the conservatorship with her father, Jamie Spears, Feb. 1, 2008, due to her hospitalizations. Jamie Spears was named the conservator of her person, while he and attorney Andrew Wallet were co-conservators of her estate.

The first time that Spears publicized and addressed her conservatorship was on the Jonathan Ross show Sept. 27, 2016 — almost eight years after it had begun. Three years later, on Jan. 4, 2019, Spears announced on social media that she wouldn’t perform her second Vegas residency due to her father becoming ill. Later that year, on Sept. 5, 2019, Jamie Spears would temporarily step down as primary conservator due to “personal health reasons.”

On July 1, 2021, a judge denied Spears’ request from November of 2020 to remove her father from her conservatorship. Two days later, Spears called 911 the day before her testimony to report herself as a victim of conservatorship abuse.

On Sept. 7, 2021, Jamie Spears ended the conservatorship in an official document.

“As Mr. Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter,” the document of the termination of the conservator says. “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.”

This document was made official Sept. 29, 2021, as Jamie Spears was immediately suspended as the conservator of her estate.

There have been multiple documentaries made during the elimination of the conservatorship on both Netflix and Hulu. Currently, according to USA Today, the conservatorship will be discussed in court for its official termination this Friday, Oct. 12. The termination has consent from both parties.

https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/1445152001814269966?s=20

Lily’s Opinion of the Conservatorship on Britney Spears

The conservatorship is a long and complicated process that I still can’t completely wrap my head around. However, you can tell that Britney Spears is in a very inmate-like position. Her mind and physical body are no longer completely her own, and, if I were in her position, I would feel so out of control of my own life. She is a strong, independent woman, and she doesn’t need anyone — especially a power hungry man — to control herself and her career. Under the conservatorship, I can’t even begin to imagine what she was feeling, and I’m sure it couldn’t have been helpful. I’m so incredibly eager to see where she will go now that she has her life in her own hands.

Britney Spears is an icon, a national treasure, a legend and a large piece of Americana that the California legal system has nearly destroyed. Keep the fight going. #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/rp6YnMtOjx

— DrDavid Stephenson (@docstat61) November 3, 2021

Alyssa’s Opinion of the Conservatorship on Britney Spears

The fact that Britney has been perfectly capable of handling her own estate, money and person is devastating, and shows that she was basically in a prison. It’s sad to hear her cries for help that came out, even after the conservatorship had been happening for around eight years, all in the dark. She grew up in the spotlight, skyrocketed her career all based on her talent, and had it all taken away and given to her father. It’s unfortunate that anyone had to go through this, and I think Britney’s life will be an example to all on how the impacts of a conservatorship, when used inappropriately or unnecessarily, can hurt. I’m excited to see how she takes her life and turns it around now that she’s free. She announced her marriage to singer Sam Asghari Sept. 14 on Twitter, and I feel like she really is happy now. The #FreeBritney movement is a huge reason that Britney is free, and I hope she keeps fans updated with her life. But, a huge part of the beginning of the conservatorship was the influx and lack of media presence. It was too much or too little at crucial moments, so I hope the media can give her a break. She’s human, just like anyone else, just like me or just like you reading this.