Spears briefly reunited with sons

Spears had not been allowed to see her sons since January

Troubled US pop star Britney Spears has spent several hours with her two sons after being granted access to visit them on Saturday.

It is nearly two months since she last saw them, after her ex-husband Kevin Federline was legally given sole custody of them on 4 January.

But Mr Federline's lawyer said on Saturday an agreement allowing Spears to see her children had been reached.

Mark Vincent Kaplan said both parents agreed to a revision of a court order.

'Participant in their lives'

The order had stripped Spears, 26, of her visitation rights.

"The process of reinstating the children's mother as a participant in their lives can commence," Mr Kaplan said.

Mr Federline's spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said Spears' father, James, played a key part in making possible the visit with Jayden James, aged one, and Sean Preston, two.

He gave no further details of the reunion.

The court order was put in place in January after Spears had refused to return her children to their father after a visit. It resulted in a stand-off with police at her house.

She was admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward following the incident, and spent another six days in a psychiatric unit earlier this month.

Mr Federline had been awarded primary custody of the boys last October.

Spears is barred from seeing sons

Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline did not attend the hearing

Pop star Britney Spears has failed in a court bid to regain visitation rights to her two children.

A spokesman for Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed that no change had been made to an existing order denying Ms Spears visits to her sons.

The pop star was banned from monitored visits last month after refusing to hand the children back, resulting in a stand-off with police at her house.

Ms Spears was taken to hospital in an ambulance following the incident.

She spent another six days in a psychiatric unit earlier this month.

Paparazzi presence

The singer's ex-husband Kevin Federline was awarded primary custody of two-year-old Sean Preston and Jayden James, aged one, in October.

At Tuesday's hearing, the singer's lawyer Anne Kiley was denied a request for an order to gag other lawyers in the case from discussing it with the media.

She had argued that the coverage was "emotionally and physically" a strain on the star, and requested that times of hearings could not be disclosed to the press.

Mr Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said the two children were not being put at risk and that Ms Spears was more concerned about the constant presence of paparazzi.

Mr Kaplan addressed reporters outside the court

He added that he hoped there would no longer be "pre-leaking of information to favoured media outlets as to where they [Ms Spears and companions] are going and how they will get there."

Mr Kaplan was referring to the development that the singer's father James has taken charge of her affairs by order of the courts.

Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who has been presiding over the lengthy child custody dispute, granted Ms Spears' request to replace Ms Kiley with another lawyer.

Outside the hearing, Mr Kaplan told reporters that Mr Federline would like his former wife to see their children.

"Both sides want to see the day that visitation can resume. It's a question of working out the details of how that can happen," he said.

"Mr. Federline looks forward to his children having their mom in their life."

Spears is allowed to see children

Pop star Britney Spears has been granted temporary visitation rights to see her sons, her lawyer has confirmed.

"Yes, she has visitation with the children," said Anne Kiley in an e-mail to the Associated Press news agency.

Last week a Los Angeles judge ruled the singer could not see Sean Preston, aged two, and one-year-old Jayden James until she complied with court orders.

Earlier this month Ms Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline was granted full custody of the two boys.

Last month, the same judge said Ms Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

She was then ordered to complete random drug and alcohol tests twice a week, as well as meeting a "parenting coach" weekly, according to court documents.

The next hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Britney fingerprinted by police

Britney Spears has visited a Los Angeles police station to be photographed and fingerprinted ahead of her hit-and-run court case.

The 25-year-old singer spent about 30 minutes at the station on Monday evening, after a judge ordered her to submit to the procedures.

Ms Spears was charged last month for allegedly crashing into a parked car while driving without a valid licence.

She could face up to six months in jail for the 6 August incident.

A conviction will also carry a fine of $1,000 (£490).

Ms Spears' first court appearance is scheduled for 25 October.

Personal life

Officer Mike Lopez said Ms Spears, who applied for a California licence earlier this month, was fingerprinted and photographed before leaving, about 45 minutes after having turned herself in.

"She was fine, cooperative, Lopez said. "She did her business and came out."

Ms Spears' career and personal life has recently been beset by a series of incidents.

Last week, a judge granted her permission to spend one night a week with her two young after the singer lost full-time custody to former husband Kevin Federline.

Ms Spears and Mr Federline must appear at a further hearing on 26 October.

Last month, a judge said Ms Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

She was then ordered to complete random drug and alcohol tests twice a week, as well as meeting weekly with a "parenting coach", according to court documents.

But she later lost custody after failing to produce her driving licence and missing a test for drugs and alcohol.

Spears awarded visitation rights

A court in the US state of California has refused to restore custody of her two children to singer Britney Spears.

Instead, Ms Spears was granted rights to visit the children. Her former husband, Kevin Federline, was awarded sole custody earlier this week.

Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner Scott Gordon extended that custody order until another hearing on 26 October to review the situation.

The couple previously shared custody, and no reason was given for the change.

However, a lawyer for Ms Spears, Sorrell Trope, told a US magazine that the judge had acted after the singer was unable to prove she had complied with several court orders.

Last month, Mr Gordon said Ms Spears, 25, showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

Hit-and-run

The singer, whose career has been hit by a year of frequent erratic behaviour, did not attend court on Wednesday, although Mr Federline did.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Federline's lawyer, Mark Kaplan, said his client believed the ruling giving him custody was "justified".

"Kevin wants to maintain the custody that he has as long as he can," Mr Kaplan added.

The judge was later expected to confirm the details of Ms Spears' visitation rights.

She has already been ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week and meet weekly with a "parenting coach", according to court documents.

The judge has also ordered Ms Spears and Mr Federline to complete a parenting class.

Also last month, Ms Spears was charged with hit-and-run and driving without a valid licence.

She is accused of hitting a parked car and driving away from a Los Angeles car park on 6 August, a spokesman for the city's attorney's office said.

Ms Spears could face six months in jail and a $1,000 (£495) fine if convicted of the charges.

The singer's latest setback follows a year of unfavourable headlines following her separation from Mr Federline last November.

She was dropped by her management firm last month following her so-called comeback performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, which was panned by critics.

Her divorce was finalised on 30 July and since then, the estranged couple have shared an equal amount of time with the two boys.

However, Mr Federline had been fighting for greater time and more money.

Spears loses custody of children

Singer Britney Spears has been ordered to hand over her two young children to her former husband.

A judge in Los Angeles ruled that Kevin Federline be given custody of Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James, until further notice.

Ms Spears has recently been charged over a motoring incident, and dropped by her management firm.

Representatives for Ms Spears and Mr Federline were not immediately available for comment.

The judge's order came 10 days after the 25-year-old singer was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after allegedly driving into a parked car, and driving without a valid licence.

If found guilty she could go to jail for six months.

Substance abuse

Her comeback appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month was also panned by critics.

Last month Judge Scott Gordon said Ms Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

She was ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week as part of her child custody dispute with Mr Federline.

The judge also ordered Ms Spears and Mr Federline to complete a parenting class.

However, on Monday he ruled that Mr Federline "is to retain physical custody of the minor children on Wednesday October 3, 2007 at 12pm until further order of the court", the official court documents said.

Ms Spears married the backing dancer in October 2004, but the pair filed for divorce last November.

The divorce was finalised on 30 July and since then the estranged couple have shared an equal amount of time with the two boys.

However, Mr Federline has been fighting for greater time and more money.

Britney to undergo drug testing

Singer Britney Spears has been ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week, according to court documents in her child custody dispute.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott M Gordon said Ms Spears, 25, showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

He also ordered Ms Spears and her former husband Kevin Federline to complete a parenting class.

Mr Federline, 29, is seeking increased custody of their two young sons.

Ms Spears married Mr Federline in October 2004 and filed for divorce last November. The divorce was finalised on 30 July.

The two currently have equal custody of Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one.

'Derogatory remarks'

The order, which was given on Monday, requires both parents to refrain from drinking and using drugs around their two young children and 12 hours before either cares for them.

Only Ms Spears was told she must to submit to testing.

Both parents are also prohibited from "making derogatory remarks" about each other in their children's presence, and from "using corporal punishment" to discipline them.

Each must complete the court's Parenting Without Conflict class, while Ms Spears must also meet a "parenting coach" for eight hours a week, who will report back to the court.

Lawyers for Ms Spears and Mr Federline had not commented, Associated Press reported.

In February, Ms Spears was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic after being photographed shaving her head, following the collapse of her marriage to Mr Federline.