A Judge has temporarily suspended her father as her conservator, ending his 13 year-long control of the pop singer's US $60 million estate. Video / AP
Britney Spears could be gearing up for legal action after her lawyer vowed to pursue an investigation into her conservatorship, which saw her life and money controlled for nearly 14 years, after it was terminated on Friday.
Mat Rosengart has accused the pop star's father of attempting to extort her, and believes accusations of financial mismanagement and surveillance made in a New York Times documentary should be scrutinised.
The documentary "Controlling Britney Spears" claimed Spears had virtually no control of her life through the majority of the conservatorship. It revealed how James Spears allegedly monitored Britney Spears' communications and captured audio recordings from her bedroom.
Jubilation had erupted outside the Los Angeles courthouse as soon as the decision to remove the conservatorship was announced.
Britney Spears appears at the 29th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, in 2018. Photo / AP
"Britney! Britney! Britney!" the crowd chanted. "Good God I love my fans so much it's crazy!!!" Britney Spears responded on social media. "I think I'm gonna cry the rest of the day!!!!"
Rosengart was met with screams of joy. "This is a monumental day for Britney Spears," he told the waiting fans.
"Not only is this momentous for Britney, but she helped to shine a light not only on conservatorship which was corrupted by her father James P Spears, she helped shine a light on conservatorships and guardianships from coast to coast, California to New York. That took a tremendous amount of insight, courage and grace."
The post-conservatorship fight has in some ways already begun. James Spears has parted ways with the attorneys who helped him operate it, and he has hired Alex Weingarten, a lawyer specialising in the kind of litigation that may be coming.
Rosengart said he and his team have found mismanagement of Britney Spears' finances, suggesting she could pursue further legal action.
Britney Spears does have the recourse to pursue criminal charges against James Spears if this is the case, experts have said.
Matthew Rosengart, attorney for Britney Spears, talks to the media after a hearing concerning the pop singer's conservatorship at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Photo / AP
"Britney's father is managing her $60 million estate, and if he misappropriates or misuses her assets or her funds, then he will be subject to criminal or civil liability," Josephine Gittler, a professor of law and the co-director of the Institute on Guardianship and Conservatorship at the University of Iowa, told Rolling Stone magazine.
Rosengart alleges James Spears took up to $4 million from her estate, including a salary and percentage of Britney Spear's earnings from her lucrative Las Vegas residency.
"This conservatorship was corrupted by James P. Spears," he said. "This is a monumental day for Britney Spears, it's also a sombre day for Britney and I think a lot of us who have been following conservatorships and how they operate."
When Britney Spears addressed the court in June, she claimed she was drugged, forced to work and stopped from removing her birth control.
"I'm here to get rid of my dad and charge him with conservatorship abuse," she said.
Jamie Spears, father of singer Britney Spears, has been accused by Rosengart of attempting to extort her. Photo / AP
Rosengart demanded any and all documents and communications pertaining to "the electronic surveillance, monitoring, cloning, or recording of the activity of Britney Jean Spears" be handed over on Oct 1.
He argued that James Spears' sudden desire to end the conservatorship after years of fighting to uphold it was in response to fears he could face legal discovery and be deposed under oath.
"It is of no moment, presently, whether Mr Spears's reversal was motivated by a desire to bolster his reputation or to avoid his deposition or responding to the outstanding discovery served on him in August," Rosengart said, referring to James Spears' unexpected support.
Investigators are also thought to be delving into Britney Spears' dealings with the estate's former business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group.
Requests for the total amount of fees Tri Star took from Britney Spears from 2008 to 2018 have so far received no response, according to court documents seen by TMZ.
"Tri Star's ongoing failure to answer this question speaks volumes and leads to the unfortunate and inexorable conclusion that Tri Star has much to hide," Rosengart said. The group has pushed back against his demands.
Britney Spears was at the height of her career when her father established the conservatorship, at first on a temporary basis, in February 2008. It was introduced after the then 26-year-old suffered from a series of public mental health struggles.
The 39-year-old has indicated that she will focus on family and her newfound freedom for now and may or may not return to making music.
"Whether Britney performs again will be up to Britney, at the right time," Rosengart said.
James Spears' attorneys said Rosengart's allegations ranged from unsubstantiated to impossible, and he only ever acted in his daughter's best interest.
Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group says Britney Spears cannot subpoena financial records prior to 2019 as there is no evidence of "extrinsic fraud" that would entitle her to do so.
