The late 2000s were a difficult time for Britney. She was spotted driving her SUV with her son Sean on her lap and not strapped in a car seat. She shaved her head and was seen hitting a photographer’s car with an umbrella. She also went through a divorce and, after refusing to relinquish custody of her children, locked herself in a room with her child only to be taken out on a stretcher and hospitalized for appearing to be under the influence of an unknown substance. In 2008, Britney made several trips to rehab and was committed to a psychiatric hospital at least two times.

Eventually, her father, Jamie Spears was granted oversight of her estate and health, which includes everything from negotiating business opportunities to restricting visitors, while attorney Andrew Wallet was assigned to help manage the singer’s assets.

Britney Spears’ financial documents revealed that as of 2018, she had a net worth of $59 million. That year, she spent $400,000 on living expenses and $66,000 on household supplies. She also spent $1.1 million on her legal and conservator fees that year, and her father reportedly took $128,000 of that.

Britney’s fans thought a sign that not everything was going well was when attorney Andrew Wallet stepped down as the co-conservator. “Conservatorship is engaged in numerous ongoing business activities requiring immediate attention,” he wrote in court filings, adding that it would be in Britney’s best interest if his resignation were accepted swiftly. He didn’t provide a specific reason for his resignation.

According to Wallet, the singer would have suffered “substantial detriment, irreparable harm, and immediate danger” if he didn’t step down.

Law experts, however, point out that while conservatorships can be corrupted, there is probably good reason it still stands. “The fact that she’s been under conservatorship for a dozen years should tell you something about the state of her mental impairment and her vulnerability,” lawyer Adam Streisand, who specializes in high-profile wealth disputes told Los Angeles Times. “The courts will do everything they can to ensure that a person is not conserved unless they really, really need to be.”