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 Legal experts say that wanting
out of a court-appointed conservatorship is
easier said than done. Spears, now 39, will have
to convice the judge that she is capable of
managing her personal affairs and assets worth
around $60 million, according to court
documents.
"Once a person is under a conservatorship it's
difficult to get out of it because the court
does not want to remove those protections only
to have the conservatee taken advantage of,"
said Los Angeles-based family lawyer Christopher
Melcher.
"They would have to demonstrate that it's no
longer necessary," Melcher added.
In emotional and angry remarks to the judge
overseeing her case, Spears on Wednesday
described the conservatorship as abusive,
stupid, embarrassing and demoralizing.
The "Piece of Me" singer begged for the
arrangement to be ended without having to
undergo more psychological testing.
"I don't want to be evaluated, to be sat in a
room with people four hours a day like they did
to me before," she said. "If I can work and
provide money and work for myself and pay other
people - it makes no sense."
The conservatorship began in 2008 when Spears
suffered a mental health breakdown. The nature
of her mental illness has never been disclosed.
A year later she made a comeback, released new
albums and performed live for 10 years until
late 2018.
Judge Brenda Penny praised Spears for her
courage in speaking out but said on Wednesday
that Spears needs to submit a petition to the
court requesting the termination of the
conservatorship before any next steps could be
taken. No new dates were set.
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 Under the terms of
conservatorships in Calfornia, the judge would
usually send a court-appointed investgor to
speak with Spears and other interested parties,
including the singer's parents Jamie and Lynne
Spears, her care manager and the financial
institituion that manages her business affairs.
The judge would make the final decision.
"Everybody thinks that you simply walk into
court with your case and the judge is going to
hear me and the judge is going to understand
that what I want is what is right, and they're
going to give that to me. And it simply doesn't
work that way," said Scott Rahn, an attorney
with expertise in trusts and conservatorships.
"It has to be warranted," Rahn added.
Spears may have more luck winning a loosening of
some of the restrictions she now faces. She
mentioned wanting to choose her own attorney,
marry and have another baby, have her nails and
hair done, and have a therapist come to her
rather than vice versa.
Lisa MacCarley, a probate and conservativship
lawyer who supports the #FreeBritney movement,
said Spears had been "treated shabbily" under
the conservatorship.
“Britney Spears needs to get into an office of a
competent and independent legal adviser and
weigh her options,” MacCarley said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, Lisa Richwine and
Rollo Ross; editing by Jane Wardell)
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