Britney Spears is one step closer to being a free woman.
On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny suspended Jamie Spears from his role as the pop star's conservator of her estate, a ruling that was made effective immediately. In his place, the court has appointed businessman John Zabel, who will temporarily serve in the position through the end of the year.
Moreover, Britney's attorney Mathew Rosengart stated he intends to imminently file a petition outlining their plans to terminate the entire conservatorship, which began in 2008.
Following the hearing, Rosengart spoke to the press outside the courthouse, telling one reporter that his client is "very happy" with the outcome. He declined to speak further, citing attorney-client privileges.
However, he added in a separate press conference that this is a "monumental" moment for the "Lucky" singer, saying, "This is a substantial step toward her freedom."
"It's been a lot of hard work," he continued. "It's been intense. I'm proud. Britney's proud."
Rosengart also credited the Free Britney movement for its efforts, stating that it was "instrumental" in moving Britney's case forward. He added, "And to the extent that it allowed my firm to carry the ball across the finish line, I thank them as well."
The attorney, who replaced Britney's longtime court-appointed attorney Samuel Ingham in July, added that he's optimistic "she's got a great future ahead of her."
And should the conservatorship be terminated entirely as Rosengart expects, Britney can do what she wants, when she wants. "Her future, in terms of if and when she performs again is that decision that Britney and only Britney can make," he explained. "That's an important point, because for so long, for so long, decisions were made for her."
Britney hasn't explicitly addressed the hearing, but she wrote on Instagram that she's on "cloud 9," mere hours after the ruling. She captioned a photo of herself in a flight simulator, "First time flying a plane and first time in a prop plane !!! Geez I was scared !!!"
Her fiancé, Sam Asghari, joined her in the celebrations, along with Cher and Dionne Warwick. Sam applauded his girlfriend on Instagram, writing, "Free Britney! Congratulations!!!!!!!!! ... She did this. Her fan base is called an army for a reason."
The next hearing on Britney's case will take place on Nov. 12.