A judge’s decision to deny Britney Spears ‘father increased power over his business was a rare move that could indicate a decrease in faith in James “Jamie” Spears’ aptitude for the role, experts said on Friday.
Thursday’s decision by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny denied James Spears’s objections to sharing monetary control over guardianship with a financial institution, Bessemer Trust, named last year as co-conservative. .
“It seems that the court lacks some confidence in the father,” said lawyer David Esquibias, who represented actor Amanda Bynes in his 2014 guardianship case. “There must be some level of conflict and some lack of confidence in the financial decision making of the dad.”
Spears, 39, is the subject of Hulu’s recent documentary, “Framing Britney Spears”, which portrays her as an impotent subject in 2008’s secret guardianship after what has been described as a public mental breakdown.
James Spears took over as the only conservative in 2019, after lawyer Andrew Wallet left. Britney Spears and her friends and fans have made it clear that they do not trust their father, and the star has long wanted him to be removed from the role.
Her lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, said in a statement on Thursday that she would work with Bessemer “in her daughter’s best interest”.
“My client Jamie Spears has diligently and professionally fulfilled his duties as one of Britney’s conservatives,” she said, “and his love for his daughter and dedication to protecting her is clearly evident to the court.”
The decision was not a total victory for Britney Spears, but it does signal that “the court has been releasing Jamie’s exclusive control over Britney and her business for the past many, many years,” said Scott Rahn, conservative, trust and probate attorney, who was not involved in the Spears case.
Tamar Arminak, a guardianship lawyer who worked with Bynes’ parents, said: “The judge is starting to listen to Britney.”
However, said Arminak, the agreement indicates that James Spears will continue to supervise his daughter for some time.
“I think what the court did was not indicative of removing Jamie at any time,” said Arminak. “I think there is a reason why they are keeping Jamie Spears as the conservative.
“It can be as simple as supervising and not charging too much or taking advantage of Britney, or it can be long term. Based on this undisclosed information, there is a clear reason why she (Penny) still believes it is in Spears’ interest to have Jamie as a conservative. “
