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regular-article-logo Thursday, 09 May 2024

Britney spears and her father settle legal dispute over conservatorship

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in court filings made by both parties in Los Angeles Superior Court

Liz Day, Lauren Herstik Los Angeles Published 27.04.24, 11:22 AM
Britney spears

Britney spears File picture

More than two years after a judge ended the conservatorship that had given James P. Spears control of his pop star daughter’s life, Britney Spears and her father have settled their outstanding legal dispute over the payment of his legal fees and his management of her finances.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in court filings made by both parties in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. But the two sides had been at odds over the size of James Spears’ legal fees and questions about his oversight of her money as conservator.

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Britney Spears’ 13-year-long conservatorship, which began in 2008 after a series of public breakdowns, was terminated in 2021. Her father, who served as one of her conservators for its duration, had been seeking court approval for more than $2 million in fees to multiple law firms he had hired in that capacity. He had also sought payment of his current lawyer’s ongoing legal bill.

Britney Spears’ lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, had objected to the fees.

Rosengart argued that, in particular, his client should not have to pay her father’s current legal bills, asserting in court papers that James Spears had paid himself $6 million, improperly surveilled his daughter and engaged in financial misconduct during his tenure.

James Spears has denied any wrongdoing. He held control over both Britney Spears’ financial and personal affairs until September 2019, when he resigned as her personal conservator citing health issues, and was replaced by Jodi Montgomery, a professional in the field. A lawyer, Andrew M. Wallet, served as a co-conservator of her estate until he resigned in 2019.

Alex M. Weingarten, a lawyer for James Spears, said he could not discuss the terms of the settlement because they are confidential but he agreed that the parties had resolved all outstanding issues. One of the filings stated that his client “is fully and finally discharged as Former Conservator of the Estate.”

The legal activity left unclear whether James Spears and Britney Spears have made any progress toward reconciling their differences outside court.

Since leaving the conservatorship, Spears has been married and divorced, and published a successful memoir, “The Woman in Me,” that has sold more than 2 million copies and was a New York Times bestseller.

The New York Times News Service

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