What it is
For the last thirteen years, fans of Britney Spears wait avidly for updates of her life. They wait anxiously for any clue as to what her life is like under the veil of her conservatorship. Thirteen years ago, celebrity Britney Spears began her legal battle in opposition of her court appointed conservator. Her current conservator is her father, Jamie Spears. Much controversy surrounds the case: on what grounds is it necessary that she needs a conservator? Is it overstepping her rights as an individual to appoint a conservator over her person and her estate when she has vocalized several times before that she does not need one? However, these questions come to little avail. For years, her life has been shrouded by mystery to the public. Only rarely does her or any member of her family come out with a statement of the current state of Ms. Spears or her affairs. However, the case is not just intriguing solely to Britney’s fans. Lawyers and scholars have taken an interest to the topic as well. Before this popular case, not many people were familiar with what a legal conservator was or what their purpose was. However, following this case, the previous notion of what a conservatorship was has been reshaped.
Why is it different?
Aside from a celebrity conservatee, this case is incredibly unique. In order to understand why, one must look all the way back at the definition of a conservatorship. Conservators are put in place for individuals who are unable to take care of themselves or their finances. Most commonly the conservatees are elderly persons. This is why it seemed odd to the fans and lawyers that someone so young and active such as Ms. Spears would need a conservator. They questioned if it was appropriate for Ms. Spears to continue to have a conservator, especially when she had publicly stated she no longer needed one. As her conservatorship progressed, her father was granted access over her finances and her estate. He and a team of lawyers were able to control what Ms. Spears was able to do and it seemed that she was forced to surrender all of her major decision-making rights to him. The public suspected that there might be some fraudulent activities happening in the background of the case. The public began to wonder if there was a possibility that her lawyers and father could be abusing their powers as conservators. As American citizens, this is an incredibly daunting notion because each person’s rights are incredibly sacred.
Due to the publicity of this case and outreach it has had, the general public has become more educated on the services of a conservatorship. As much as they are put in place to assist those who potentially need it, there are cases in which the power of a conservator is abused. This is why it is pertinent for the conservator to uphold the ethics and morality that conservatorships were originally created upon. The court places the conservatee in the responsibility of the conservator to act in the best interest of the conservatee.
As this case opens up going forward, more details will be revealed. If Ms. Spears is successfully going to be able to convince the court to terminate the conservatorship, she is going to have to continue to fight this lengthy legal battle. Whatever the result of the conservatorship, the public should understand that a trust should be established between the client and the conservator. The drama of the case might be intriguing to some, but it is easy to get lost in the fanfare of the life of a celebrity. At the end of the day, Ms. Spears is still an individual. And it is important to remember and respect the rights of the individual.