EXPLAINED

Britney’s Conservatorship Case,

According to the Grammy winner’s lawyer, she is “vehemently opposed” to Jamie’s attempt to keep her case closed to the public, “hidden away in the closet as a family secret.”

Not a girl, not yet a free woman. Britney Spears is fighting to have her father Jamie Spears, 68, removed as her conservator, but what exactly does that mean? Life & Style’s Justice Editor Marjorie Hernandez breaks down everything you need to know about the ongoing battle over the 38-year-old singer’s fortune.

WHAT’S A CONSERVATOR? “A conservator is someone appointed by the court to supervise finances or the health of a conservatee, who is incapable to do so himself or herself,” Hernandez explains. “Since 2008, Jamie has been a co-conservator of his daughter’s finances, but she no longer wants him having control over her business affairs.”

WHERE DOES THE CASE STAND NOW? An attorney for the “Overprotected” pop star has requested that Bessemer Trust Company, a private wealth management firm, take over her multimilliondollar estate. A hearing’s been scheduled for Nov. 10.

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT BRITNEY BEING COMATOSE? Contrary to previous reports, Britney’s lawyer Samuel Ingham did not compare her to a comatose patient. “He was just trying to make a point that it’s standard that lawyers file statements on behalf of conservatees, which includes conservatees who might be comatose,” Hernandez notes. “Ingham did, however, say his client does not have the capacity to provide her own declarations.”