The day Britney Spears' supporters have been waiting for might be here.
A judge in Los Angeles on Friday is set to consider Spears' petition to end the conservatorship she has been under since 2008, which she has decried as abusive. It's a crucial moment for the pop star and for #FreeBritney, a movement of her fans, who have long fought for her removal from the legal arrangement controlling her life and finances.
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As to whether the conservatorship may officially be ended in Friday's hearing, Tamar Arminak, a conservatorship attorney, told NBC's Today, "I think we can expect for the court to dissolve the conservatorship of the person, giving Britney the right to make her personal decisions." Arminak did predict, however, that the conservatorship of Spears' estate, which oversees her finances, may not be terminated "quite yet."
Family law attorney Christopher Melcher told USA Today the conservatorship of Spears as a person (as opposed to her money) is the "most restrictive and offensive" aspect of the arrangement, as "it's taking away these basic liberties that we all have about where she's going to live, who she's going to see." This will end after Friday's hearing, he predicted.
Ahead of the hearing, Spears was seen wearing a #FreeBritney shirt in a post on her fiance's Instagram. Earlier this week, she wrote that "this week is gonna be very interesting for me," adding, "I haven't prayed for something more in my life." Her lawyer has vowed to continue investigating Jamie Spears after the end of the conservatorship. Jamie Spears has denied wrongdoing.
The hearing is set for 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
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