NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — A California judge did not end the Britney Spears conservatorship Wednesday, but gave her something she’s been fighting for — freedom her from her father.
Judge Brenda Penny named accountant John Zabel, who Spears and her lawyer requested, to temporarily manage her estate as her new conservator. But if the pop star can decide on her lawyer and now her conservator, why hasn’t the conservatorship ended already?
Attorney Andy Mayoras, who has worked on numerous cases surrounding conservatorship and asset disputes, tells Dan Abrams he thinks there are two reasons.
“First and foremost is Britney and her lawyer want to now use the conservatorship in her favor to help them in their investigation and pursuing claims against Jamie Spears and perhaps others involved in the conservatorship,” Mayoras said.
Mayoras said Jamie Spears and his lawyer were asking the court Wednesday to terminate the conservatorship, but Britney’s lawyer opposed that.
“They want to use the conservatorship process to help get ready to assert those claims,” Mayoras said.
He says the second reason Britney’s team didn’t ask for the conservatorship to end is because they likely wanted more time to prepare for the transition process.
“It’s very hard when you’re dealing with this much money, this much in assets and these many business decisions to face, to transition all at once,” Mayoras said.
The hearing Wednesday’s was about conservatorship of her estate, the financial issues.
“Britney, I believe, will be put back in control of her own finances, but it’s going to be on her timeline and her lawyer’s timeline, and it will work out better for her in the end this way,” Mayoras said.
Jodi Montgomery, a court-appointed professional, already acts as Spears’ personal conservator.
“Clearly, Britney and her legal team are more comfortable with Jodi Montgomery, the conservator of the person, and feel like they can address that situation in good time,” Mayoras said. “They wanted to go over … what they viewed is the bigger problem, which was her father.”
The next hearing to determine if the conservatorship should end is set for Nov. 12.
Mayoras says getting that to happen will be much easier with Jamie Spears out of the picture.
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