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Britney Spears' Dad Files Request To Immediately Terminate Conservatorship, Though Her Lawyer Appears To Doubt His Motives
Jamie Spears' attorney Alex Weingarten wrote in a court filing that his client "sees no reason why the Conservatorship should continue for any amount of time and asserts he has no interest in the Conservatorship continuing" for Britney Spears.
Britney Spears’ father is pushing to immediately terminate her conservatorship, but the pop icon's attorney has raised questions about his motive in doing so.
Court documents filed on Monday by Jamie Spears’ current attorney Alex Weingarten, obtained by People, state, "Jamie sees no reason why the Conservatorship should continue for any amount of time and asserts he has no interest in the Conservatorship continuing."
Weingarten wrote that his client "does not make this request subject to a demand for releases or compensation."
"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," the documents state. "For the last 13 years, that included serving as her Conservator. Now, it means ending her Conservatorship."
But Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart has been suspicious of Jamie’s flip after maintaining for years that the conservatorship was necessary.
In court documents filed last week, Rosengart said that just two weeks before Jamie filed a petition on Sept. 7 to terminate his daughter’s conservatorship, he had received discovery requests from Rosengart. The attorney points to those requests as the possible catalyst for the apparent change of heart in Jamie, 69.
Rosengart questioned in the court paperwork if Jamie was "motivated by a desire to bolster his reputation or to avoid his deposition or responding to the outstanding discovery served on him in August,” People reported.
The lawyer for the “Overprotected” singer is planning to ask Jamie under oath how much money he has received from Britney since the conservatorship began in 2008, according to documents obtained by “Britney v Spears” director Erin Lee Carr. Rosengart also wants information on what role Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group— which was run by Britney’s ex-business manager Lou Taylor—played in Spears’ finances. He’s asked for all communications and documents of agreements between Jamie and Tri Star in his discovery request.
Even back in September, Rosengart suggested that Jamie’s sudden interest in quickly ending the conservatorship could be an effort to avoid potential legal issues.
"It appears that Mr. Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice, including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath,” he said in a statement.
In late September, Los Angeles Judge Brenda Penny sided with Rosengart and suspended Jamie as his daughter’s conservator of estate. During that hearing, Jamie also asked for the immediate termination of the conservatorship. Rosengart argued in court that Jamie Spears' desire to terminate the arrangement is motivated by a desire to dodge any accountability for any mishandling or abuse. Instead, Rosegart asked Penny for court review and termination of the conservatorship within 30 to 45 days. He then transferred the conservator of estate role from Jamie Spears to a temporary conservatorship to allow Rosengart to investigate the singer's father's behavior during his 13 years of involvement in the conservatorship.
A hearing to determine the possible termination of the conservatorship has been set for Nov. 12.
Weingarten has not immediately responded to Oxygen.com's request for comment.
In June, Spears accused her father of conservatorship abuse and even said he should be in jail. She told Penny that at one point during the 13 years since the conservatorship had been established, she had been held in a psychiatric hold against her will while her family did nothing. She also alleged that she was forced to perform against her will, take lithium, and was told she could not get her IUD removed. Since that hearing, the pressure for Jamie Spears began to mount both on social media and in the courtroom. After Britney Spears was permitted in July to finally hire her own attorney, Rosengart quickly filed for her father's removal.
Jamie Spears has been his daughter’s conservator of estate for 13 years. He was also her conservator of person from 2008 until 2019 when he stepped down from that role.
