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Britney Spears' father Jamie files petition to end conservatorship and admits there may no longer be a reason for him to control singer's life

 Britney Spears ' father has filed a petition to end his controversial 13-year control over her estate.  Jamie Spears, 62, filed the doc...

 Britney Spears' father has filed a petition to end his controversial 13-year control over her estate. 

Jamie Spears, 62, filed the documents at Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday after admitting there may no longer be any reason for him to control the singer's life. 

The paperwork, seen by NBC News, states that his daughter 'is entitled to have this Court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.' 

The filing said that his 39-year-old daughter's situation has changed 'to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist.' 

Jamie Spears is pictured with his daughter in 2015. On Tuesday he filed court documents to officially end his 13-year control of her estate

Jamie Spears is pictured with his daughter in 2015. On Tuesday he filed court documents to officially end his 13-year control of her estate 

Jamie Spears, 62, has resisted efforts to remove him from his position controlling his daughter's financial affairs. On Tuesday he relented and agreed to leave

Jamie Spears, 62, has resisted efforts to remove him from his position controlling his daughter's financial affairs. On Tuesday he relented and agreed to leave

The court filings come as Britney's former bodyguard claimed she is living 'like an inmate in a golden prison' as the singer has her phone calls monitored and is not allowed out unsupervised

The court filings come as Britney's former bodyguard claimed she is living 'like an inmate in a golden prison' as the singer has her phone calls monitored and is not allowed out unsupervised

'As Mr. Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter,' the document 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.' 


Judge Brenda Penny, who oversees the case, will need to approve the move. 

The pop singer, who has been performing since she was a child, has been battling for the last two years to free herself from a conservatorship imposed in 2008, when she had a mental breakdown.

Spears, seen in April 2018, scored a major victory in her legal battle on Tuesday when her father said the conservatorship should end

Spears, seen in April 2018, scored a major victory in her legal battle on Tuesday when her father said the conservatorship should end

Criticism of the arrangement has grown, with the singer and her supporters arguing that it may have been initially useful, but had long outgrown its purpose.

Jamie Spears was being paid $16,000 a month to manage his daughter's affairs, while she was touring and raking in millions.

On August 12, amid mounting pressure from his daughter, his ex-wife Lynne and Britney's fans, Jamie Spears agreed to step down - but only when everything was in place. He did not indicate how long that would be. 

On Tuesday, the Louisiana-born father of three said he accepted the moment was now, and defended his work over the past 13 years.

'The conservatorship has helped Ms. Spears get through a major life crisis, rehabilitate and advance her career, and put her finances and her affairs in order. But recently, things have changed,' the filing said, according to NBC. 

'Ms Spears is now outspoken in her frustration with the level of control imposed by a conservatorship, and has pleaded with this Court to 'let her have her life back.''

He also stated that his legal team do not believe she requires further psychological assessment - something that will come as a relief to the singer, who publicly objected to another evaluation. 

On July 26 the singer's new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart - appointed on July 14, after a lengthy battle to chose her own legal advocate - appealed to the court to have Jamie Spears removed from the conservatorship.

Mathew Rosengart, Britney Spears's lawyer, was appointed on July 14 to represent her - replacing the court-appointed Sam Ingham

Mathew Rosengart, Britney Spears's lawyer, was appointed on July 14 to represent her - replacing the court-appointed Sam Ingham


Jamie Spears said that the court allowing her to hire her own lawyer suggested she was able to care for herself. 

'In so doing [allowing her to hire a lawyer], this Court has recognized that Ms. Spears has both the capacity and capability to identify, engage, and instruct counsel of her own choice, on her own, without the assistance of the Conservator or the Court,' the documents state. 

'If Ms. Spears has the capability to engage counsel on her own, she presumably has capacity to handle other contractual and business matters.' 

A court hearing had been set for September 29. It is unclear how the new development will affect the scheduled session. 

On June 23 the singer - worth an estimated $60 million, according to court documents - spoke before Judge Brenda Penny to explain, in excruciating detail, how the arrangement had affected her and why she wanted it to end. 

She said that she was forced to have birth control implanted, and prevented from marrying her boyfriend, Iranian actor and personal trainer Sam Asghari.

She said that every aspect of her life was dictated to her, and she was given a $2,000-a-week allowance for all her spending, with minders controlling where she went and when.  

On Tuesday, her father addressed those complaints.

'She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight,' the filing states. 

'She wants to be able to get married and have a baby, if she so chooses. In short, she wants to live her life as she chooses without the constraints of a conservator or court proceeding.'  

Jamie Spears noted that his daughter is now driving again, and wants more control over her therapist sessions.

He also called for Jodi Montgomery, who serves as the singer's personal conservator - while he manages the finances - to step down. 

He stepped aside from the part of the conservatorship that controls his daughter's life decisions in 2019, with Montgomery taking over, though her official status remains temporary. 

And he criticized Rosengart - who on August 31 accused Jamie Spears of extortion, claiming he was attempting to link his departure with payment of some $2 million in fees to his attorneys and for experts handling the media - for his legal advice.

Jamie Spears said Rosengart had not helped the swift progress of the case.  

'Ms. Spears recently testified that she did not know, at least in the past, that she could petition to end the conservatorship without submitting to a full psychological evaluation,' Jamie Spears' lawyers wrote. 

'Given Ms. Spears' testimony, Mr. Spears does not know why a petition to terminate the conservatorship has not yet been filed.' 

Rosengart said the filing 'represents another legal victory for Britney Spears — a massive one — as well as vindication for Ms. Spears.' 

He attacked Jamie Spears for trying to 'avoid accountability' for his actions over the past 13 years. 

'It appears that Mr. Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice,' Rosengart said, 'including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath, but as we assess his filing (which was inappropriately sent to the media before it was served on counsel) we will also continue to explore all options.' 

Jamie was, until mid August, defying calls for him to step down. 

On August 6 he said in a court filing there were 'no grounds whatsoever' for him to step aside, describing his daughter as 'mentally sick'.

Jamie Spears claimed in a court filing that Britney is struggling so much with her mental health that court-appointed professional Jodi Montgomery, who overseas the popstar's life decisions, recommended hospitalizing her on emergency psychiatric hold.

Jamie Spears said Montgomery had called him in July, distraught, and sought his help with his daughter's mental health struggles. 

He claimed that Montgomery had explained that Britney was not taking her medications properly and refused to see some of her doctors and that she was 'spiraling out of control'.

Jamie Spears said he and Jodi Montgomery, a professional conservator, discussed the possibility of hospitalizing Britney Spears on an emergency psychiatric hold. Montgomery disputed his account

Jamie Spears said he and Jodi Montgomery, a professional conservator, discussed the possibility of hospitalizing Britney Spears on an emergency psychiatric hold. Montgomery disputed his account 

But Montgomery and her lawyer said in response that Spears 'misrepresented and manipulated' the call to use it to his own advantage'.  

Montgomery acknowledged, in a statement through her attorney Lauriann Wright, having concerns about Britney Spears' behavior and mental health, but said James Spears' stepping down would only help.

The statement said 'having her father Jamie Spears continuing to serve as her Conservator instead of a neutral professional fiduciary is having a serious impact on Ms. Spears' mental health.'

At no time during the phone call did Montgomery suggest Britney Spears qualifies for a psychiatric hold, the statement said. 

Montgomery was 'saddened' that the call 'is now being misrepresented and manipulated' by James Spears 'to gain some sort of tactical advantage in the pending proceedings to remove him.'

The fighting between those involved in the conservatorship has grown increasingly heated, and increasingly public, since Spears' dramatic testimony on June 23, when she told a judge ' I just want my life back.' 

It has also sharply divided the family, with Britney's mother Lynne, 66, and sister Jamie-Lynn, 34, supporting the singer - but Britney publicly rejecting their support and accusing them of being absent and uncaring. 

The court filings came as Britney's former bodyguard claimed she is living 'like an inmate in a golden prison' as the singer has her phone calls monitored and is not allowed out unsupervised.  

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