The news that the conservatorship which has controlled pop star Britney Spears’ life for the last 13 years has officially ended has been greeted with an outpouring of joy from fans, famous friends and Spears herself. But what difference will the decision actually make to her life?
The conservatorship has been in place since 2008, when Spears’ father Jamie Spears petitioned the court for authority over his daughter’s life and finances.
He did this on the basis of her public mental health struggles the previous year, and by the end of 2008 the temporary guardianship had been made permanent.
In the years since, under Jamie Spears’ control the conservatorship has entered into professional contracts on behalf of the pop star. It has also controlled and dictated her travel arrangements, determined which medication she could take and allegedly forced her to work against her will and to use a birth control device.
Now that the conservatorship has ended, Britney Spears will regain control over all these areas of her life, including her personal life and business affairs.
However in regards to her fortune, her lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart said today that there would also be a "safety net" put in place to help Spears’ transition back to regular life.
Judge Penny, who made the decision to end the conservatorship, has said that the current conservator, who was appointed after Jamie Spears’ dismissal, should continue working in order to settle the many ongoing financial issues in the case.
