Britney Spears’ father, James “Jamie” Spears, has agreed to step down as head of her conservatorship, TMZ reports. Jamie has overseen the conservatorship — a legal arrangement that manages both Britney’s personal and professional life — since a Los Angeles court put it in place in 2008 in the wake of her public mental breakdown. In recent years, an informal coalition known as the #FreeBritney movement has campaigned for the end of the conservatorship. In June, Britney argued passionately in court that the arrangement should not continue, calling it “abusive.”

A statement filed by Jamie’s lawyer reportedly includes the following passage:

There are, in fact, no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the Conservator of the Estate … and it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.

Nevertheless, even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests. So, even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.

Regardless of his formal title, Mr. Spears will always be Ms. Spears’ father, he will always love her unconditionally, and he will always look out for her best interests.

Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart offered this statement to TMZ:

We are pleased but not necessarily surprised that Mr. Spears and his lawyer finally recognize that he must be removed. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others.

We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears’s sworn deposition in the near future. In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should step aside immediately.

The New York Times/FX/Hulu documentary Framing Britney Spears brought more widespread to Britney’s conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement this year.