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Lawyer: Here's the unanswered question of Britney Spears' conservatorship fight

Now that Jamie Spears has formally moved to end his pop star daughter's controversial 13-year conservatorship, it raises the question of when the arrangement will actually expire — and whether Britney Spears' searing claims of abuse will be formally addressed.

At least for now, the conservatorship, which has received enormous public scrutiny since it was first set up over a decade ago, is still in effect.

Yet the elder Spears filed a motion this week, stating that Britney Spears’ circumstances have changed “to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist" — and signaled the arrangement was no longer necessary.

Britney's Spears lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, responded to the filing in a statement to Yahoo Finance, calling it a "massive legal victory" as well as major "vindication" for the 39 year-old pop star.

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"To the extent Mr. Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice, including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath, he is incorrect and our investigation into financial mismanagement and other issues will continue," Rosengart warned.

"I think that it's a good sign that things are sort of looking up for Britney," Los Angeles-based attorney Benny Roshan, who serves as chair of Greenberg Glusker's trusts and probate litigation group, told Yahoo Finance.

However, Roshan has questioned the approach of the pop star's legal team.

"But the real question for me is how will Britney's attorneys respond to this petition in a way that actually gets Britney the full relief that she wants? Is there going to be accountability?" Roshan asked.

She called Rosengart's approach "cautious" and "measured" because it didn't seek immediate termination of the conservatorship.

"Now that Britney's dad has filed for the conservatorship to end, what is this additional thing that is going to add that accountability for the abuses that occurred throughout the course of the conservatorship?" she questioned.

"Getting justice for Britney will now have to be accelerated," she continued.

Jamie Spears' legal team did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Yahoo Finance.

Mathew Rosengart, attorney of pop star Britney Spears, delivers a statement to the media on the day of a conservatorship case hearing at Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 26, 2021.  REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Mathew Rosengart, attorney of pop star Britney Spears, delivers a statement to the media on the day of a conservatorship case hearing at Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (Mario Anzuoni / reuters)

"So far, everything has been all talk. Now people are going to have to walk the walk"Benny Roshan, Greenberg Glusker's Trusts and Probate Litigation Group Chair

The next court hearing is set for September 29, although Jamie's petition for termination will not be heard until a separate trial currently scheduled for January 2022.

However, Jamie Spears' lawyers "basically took the sting out of what's going to happen next," Roshan said, explaining that the new filing essentially makes the September 29 hearing a "non-event."

The onus now shifts to Britney's legal team, which "will have to decide what the response is going to be to the termination petition," the attorney added. Roshan said that one possibility could be for Britney's team to file a response related to "the accountability portion."

"So far, everything has been all talk. Now people are going to have to walk the walk," she added.

Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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