She has been spending a considerable amount of time dealing with legal issues lately.

On October 1, a court commissioner ordered her to temporarily relinquish custody of her two young sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline, citing concerns over drug and alcohol use.

She was in court last week to appeal against the order and was granted one overnight stay a week with her boys, but the visits must be monitored.


Britney’s sons allowed weekly visit - Oct 12 2007
Britney Spears has won modified visitation rules that allow her two boys to spend one night a week with her after taking her case to a US court.

The pop star’s lawyer requested her mother becomes the required court-appointed monitor.

Britney made a surprise appearance in the Los Angeles courtroom after Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon held a morning hearing on her emergency request to expand visitation but declined to rule.

He gave attorneys for Britney and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, who was recently granted custody, more time to discuss the matter outside court.

Britney was previously allowed monitored visits with the children but no overnight stays.

K-Fed, who was not at the hearings, agreed to the modification, his lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said outside court.

"He agreed -- didn’t have to -- but he agreed that he would allow that additional time," Kaplan said.

Britney, 25, and K-Fed, 29, were married in October 2004 and divorced last July.

They must both appear in court on October 26 for a status hearing.

When Britney arrived at the courthouse dressed in blue jeans, a long black sweater and wearing aviator sunglasses, she said "I’m doing good."

The commissioner allowed her to keep her dark sunglasses on, telling her: "I understand you have a medical condition."

The condition was not disclosed.

She spent about an hour in the courtroom, then drove off in a white Mercedes-Benz swarmed by news media at traffic lights.

She escaped only after sheriff’s deputies ran from the courthouse to aid her.


Talk it out, Britney lawyers told - Oct 12 2007
The judge in Britney Spears’ custody battle has told both sides to talk things over after the troubled singer sought expanded visitation rights.

LA Superior Court commissioner Scott Gordon told lawyers for Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, to spend 45 minutes talking about what role Spears’ mother and other relatives might play in visits with the children.

Neither Spears, 25, nor Federline, 29, was in court for the hearing.

Spears filed an emergency court motion seeking to expand visitation rights with her children, Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James last night.

During the hearing, Spears’ lawyer, Anne Kiley, requested a modification of the current custody order to allow overnight stays. She argued that the visits were critical for the children to bond with their mother.

"I do think it is an emergency for them not to have overnights with their mother, which they’ve always had," Ms Kiley said.

"What possible concern can he (Federline) have if there are monitors present?" she asked.

Ms Kiley said that Spears’ mother would be interested in acting as a monitor and lawyers for both sides alluded to a warming of relations between Spears and her family.

On October 1, the superior court commissioner ordered Spears to relinquish custody of her children following concerns about drug and alcohol use.