Britney Spears' father stays as co-conservator

12 February 2021

Britney Spears' father will continue to be co-conservator of her estate alongside the Bessemer Trust Company.

Britney Spears

A hearing took place in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday (11.02.21), with Judge Brenda Penny rejecting Jamie Spears' objections both as to how the co-conservatorship - which looks after the 'Gimme More' singer's affairs - would be delegated, and over language used in the proposed order of co-conservatorship from his daughter's lawyer, Samuel D. Ingram III.

According to Variety, Britney's lawyer acknowledged that the 39-year-old pop star no longer wants her father in charge of her affairs but recognised this week's hearing wasn't the time to raise that.

He argued that the co-conservatorship proposal was to give Jamie and the firm "an equal division of responsibility, in the hopes that they would sit down and figure out together the best way to handle this complex estate for the benefit of my client."

He added: "It's no secret that my client does not want her father as co-conservator, but we recognize that removal is a separate issue."

Despite the rejections, Jamie's lawyers, felt the rulings showed "the court's confidence in our client Jamie Spears and Bessemer Trust to manage the conservatorship of Ms. Spears' estate together" and maintained their client has "diligently and professionally carried out his duties as one of Britney's conservators."

The legal representative added in a statement: "My client looks forward to working with Bessemer to continue an investment strategy in the best interests of his daughter.

"The Probate Court is highly experienced in these matters and takes them very seriously. From the beginning, the court has closely monitored Britney's situation, including annual accountings and in-depth reviews and recommendations from a highly experienced and dedicated court investigator.

"Britney's Conservatorship of the Estate was co-managed by a private professional fiduciary and her father until early 2019. At that time, Britney requested in court papers that her father be the sole conservator of her estate.

"Her Conservatorship of the Person is not managed by her father but by a licensed personal care professional, and is similarly subject to the scrutiny of interviews, audits and detailed reports to the judge by the court investigator."

Additional hearings have been scheduled for 17 March and 27 April.

When the 'Toxic' singer was first placed under a conservatorship in 2008 after suffering a breakdown, Jamie was named conservator of her person and lawyer Andrew Wallet the conservator of her estate, but the latter retired from the role in June 2019.

Three months later, Jamie stepped down due to "personal health reasons" and was replaced by licensed conservator Jodi Montgomery.

Last summer, Britney told the court she was "strongly opposed" to having her father return as sole conservator and "strongly prefers to have a qualified corporate fiduciary appointed to serve in this role", later recommending Bessemer Trust take on the role, a nomination backed in separate documents by her mother Lynne.

However, in November last year, the judge appointed Jamie and Bessemer Trust as co-conservators of her estate.