A judge in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday that Britney Spears' father should be suspended as her conservator, a change that the singer requested and that her attorney hopes will set her on the path to freedom for the first time since 2008.

Spears' father, James "Jamie" Spears, filed the petition to dissolve the conservatorship last month after she filed to replace him with a professional conservator. Britney Spears, 39, described her situation as "abusive" in public testimony over the summer, telling the court that she has been prevented from getting married, having more children and living a full life.