Jamie Spears ‘dragging feet’ on conservatorship

Britney Spears’ lawyers have accused her father Jamie of “dragging his feet” over stepping down from his daughter’s conservatorship at her request.

Mr Spears, 69, has agreed to relinquish control of the US pop star’s finances.

He has overseen her multimillion dollar estate since she was deemed incapable of looking after herself in 2008.

This week, her lawyer Mathew S Rosengart demanded he step down as soon as possible, accusing him of trying to extort money from his daughter.

The BBC has asked his representative Vivian Thoreen for comment.

Last month, Mr Spears’ lawyer said he would be “in a position to step aside” when certain matters were resolved, and “when the time is right”.

In August, Jamie Spears officially agreed to relinquish control of his famous daughter’s estate, saying he would step down and help with an “orderly” transition to a new conservator. However there was no timeframe given, and there are no actual grounds for his suspension or removal.

In new documents filed to court this week, Britney’s lawyer alleged he is demanding $2 million (£1.45 million) in payments to his own legal team and former business manager Tri Star, as well as praise for his handling of his daughter’s conservatorship.

“His idea of ‘orderly’ is to hang on until someone first brands him ‘father of the year’ and awards him a gold star for his ‘service’,” said Mr Rosengart.

“In other words, although Mr Spears has, at last, been forced to recognise that it is best for his daughter if he departs now, he claims the right to drag his feet because it is best for him to cling to this conservatorship until he feels sufficiently-vindicated.”

Mr Spears’ lawyer previously said he did not believe “a public battle with his daughter… would be in her best interests”, adding that he had been “the unremitting target of unjustified attacks”.

However, the lawyer also called for her “flawed” petition to be denied, saying it was “unjustified” and that there were “no urgent circumstances justifying Mr Spears’ immediate suspension”.

In a latest development in court this week, Ms Spears lawyer disagreed. “Mr Spears and his counsel are now on notice: the status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted,” stressed Mr Rosengart.

The Baby One More Time and Toxic singer, 39, previously told a Los Angeles court that the conservatorship – a legal arrangement usually reserved for the very old or ill – was “abusive”.

Fans have rallied around her throughout, with many of the #FreeBritney campaign protesting outside court, claiming her father has exerted too much control over her life and career.

Mr Rosengart has asked Brenda Penny, the judge in the case, to remove him as her conservator at the next hearing on 29 September.

He added that going voluntarily immediately would be the “legally correct, decent and graceful thing to do”.

“The world heard Ms Spears’s courageous and compelling testimony. Britney Spears’s life matters. Her well-being matters. Every day matters. There is no basis to wait.” – bbc.com