CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It’s been a big day for Britney Spears. Judge Brenda Penny has officially granted her request for her father’s immediate removal from her conservatorship. That position will temporarily be taken over by John Zabel, a California-based consultant. And a woman named Jodi Montgomery remains the conservator tasked with overseeing Britney’s personal affairs.
This could be the end of the battle for her freedom. The Free Britney movement has been years in the making for some fans. They want the performer to be able to return to work as she normally does. But legally, there is still work to be done before that happens. WCCB News Edge producer Brandon Refour spoke with a conservatorship attorney about what “freedom” could look like for the performer. “Assuming freedom comes in the form of a total elimination of the conservatorship so that Britney is deemed to be completely able to manage her own affairs, Britney’s life should very much return to normal. Now admittedly Britney’s normal may not be what your normal or my normal looks like, but she should be able to make her own decisions without having anyone else approve that decision or sign off or have anyone else overrule that decision,” explains Patrick Hicks, Head of Legal at Trust & Will
Hicks says yes, Britney’s case is highly publicized. But he advises her case is raising awareness about estate planning in general, and is part of a bigger conversation that needs to be had. “What we’re experiencing in society right now is maybe thinking through, is there a better way we should be approaching this, how should we be handling that? And there’s no easy answer, and that’s what makes us all take a second maybe feel a little uncomfortable but hopefully have a good conversation and dialogue from this,” he says.
This episode’s panel features:
WCCB TV’s Morgan Fogarty
WCCB News Edge contributor Ashley Anderson
WCCB TV’s Kelli Bartik
