What exactly is an conservatorship? How do they work?
AND GUARDIANSHIPS. JOINING US THIS MORNING TO BREAK IT ALL DOWN, ATTORNEY ELIZABETH MCINTUF.RF THANKS FOR JOINING US. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. JENNIFER: I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TWO CAMPS. ONE, FREE BRITNEY, FOLLOWING IT TO A TEE. ANOTHER CAMP DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT OR COULD CARE LESS. >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. BRITNEY SPEARS, ICON, ABOUT A DECADE, 13 YEARS AGO, SHE WAS PLACED UNDER CONSERVATORSHIP IN CALIFORNIA, WCHHI WORKS A LOT KELI MARYLAND GUARDIANSHIPS. A COURT FOUND SHE WAS IN NEEOFD ASSISTANCE AND ACQUIRED SOMEBODY TO MANAGEER M HEDICAL AND HEALTH DECISIONS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. SINCE THEN, THERE'S BEEN A FREE BRITNEY MOVEMENT WREHE HER AND HER FANS SEEM TOEL BIEVE SHE DOESN'T NEED A CONSERVORAT ANYMORE. SHE MADE AN ELOQUENT STETAMENT TO THE COURT ABOUT WHY SHE FEELS SHE'S PROGRESSED BEYDON THE NEED OF A CONSERVATOR, OR AT THE LEAST HAVE HER FATHEROT N BE HER CONSERVATOR. >> SOUNDS LIKEHE T DOCUMENTARIES THAT SHE IS BASICALLYOT N ALLOWED TO MAKE VERY MANY DECISIONS AT ALL FOR HERSELF. >> MYAN GUARDIANSHIPS OR CONSERVATORSHIPS, AS THEY CALL THEM IN CALIFORNIA, DO MAKE IT SO THAT YOUR GUARDIAN OR CONSERVATOR MAKES THE HEALTH, MEDICAL, AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS ON YOUR HALF.BE NOW, WITHIN THAT, THERE IS KIND OF A RANGE OR SCOPE. NOT EVERYONE NEEDS EVERY DECISION MADE FOR THEM. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. SO IN HER CASE, IT SEEMS THAT THE COURT HAS HAD A VERY STRICT GUARDIANSHIP OR CONSERVATORSHIP PLACED OVERER H WHERE SHE'S NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE MEDICAL, HEALTH, OR FINANCIAL DECISIONS FOR HERSELF. >> WELL, IN MARYLAND,T I CAN, IN THE SENSE TTHA THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LAST AS LONG AS THE PERSON SHA A QUALIFYING DISABILITY AND THAT WOULD BE A DISILABITY OR CONDITNIO IN WHICH THEY ARE UNABLE TOAK ME DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. IN SOME CASES, THAT MAY BE PERMANENT. IN OTHER CASES, IF SOMEBODY SUFFERS FROM A MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE, THEY CANRA GDUATE OUT OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANEAG THE DISABILITY AND ARE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONSOR F THEMSELVES NOW. >> JUST AS AN ATTORNEY FOLLOWING THIS CASE, WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING ?HE >> IT'S TOUGH IN THE SENSE THAT WHILE WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION. SHE'S ASKED THE COURT TO REMOVE HER FATHER AS A CONSERVATOR. IF THIS WERE IN MARYLAND, A PERSON WHO IS PLACED UNDER GUARDIANSHIP HAS A RIGHT TO PETITION THE COURT TO REEVALUATE EITHR CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITION TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD REMAIN UNDER A GUARDIANSHIPR O CONSERVATORSHIP, BECAUSE THEY VERY WELL MAY HAVE PROGRESSED TO THE POINT THEY DON'T NEED THAT ANYMORE OR DON'T NEED THE STRTNESSIC IN WHICH A GUARDIANSHIP LIKE HERS IS BEING AD MINISTERED. >> MARYLAND, THE COURT HAS THE POWER TO APPNTOI AN INVESTIGATOR. THE COURT CAN ALSO AND DOES RECEIVE MEDICAL RECORDS SOOU YR DOCTORS WOULD OFFER A REPORT D,AN YOU KNOW, GO DOWN A CHECKLIST THERE, SAYING WTHHEER OR NOT IN THEIR MEDICAL OPINION THEY BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED A GUARDIANSHIP. >> THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS WHOLE CASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING THUS MORNING. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. >> T  GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Submit Privacy Notice