Britney Spears has launched legal action to prevent her father Jamie from returning as the court-ordered conservator of her estate, The New York Times reports.
According to legal documents, filed in the Superior Court of California on Monday, the pop star is “strongly opposed” to Jamie Spears returning as “conservator of her person” and wants her long-time care manager, Jodi Montgomery, to take on the role instead.
Britney’s attorney reportedly wrote in the filing that her new petition will likely be “aggressively contested” by Jamie, though it is “in her best interests”.
The 38-year-old singer also indicated that she “does not want to perform at this time” and wants to hire a law firm with “substantial expertise in handling contested litigation in a highly complex case such as this one through trial”.
A status hearing in the case is scheduled in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Jamie Spears, 68, was appointed to oversee his daughter’s welfare and finances in 2008 after she made several highly-publicised trips to rehab and had the infamous head-shaving breakdown.
He stepped back from the role last fall following health issues. Licensed conservator Jodi Montgomery then was named as Britney’s temporary conservator at Jamie’s request.
Fans of the "Toxic" hit-maker have launched a viral #FreeBritney campaign and even staged a small rally outside a Los Angeles courthouse last month, questioning the terms and motives of her father’s guardianship.
Jamie dismissed speculation that he is illegally reaping financial gains from the lucrative estate, saying: “I have to report every nickel and dime spent to the court every year. How the hell would I steal something?”
“All these conspiracy theorists don't know anything”, he added. “It’s up to the court of California to decide what's best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business”.
