Lawyer Says Spears' Custody Bid on Hold

Britney Spears arrived in court giggling on Friday but was later heard swearing during a break in a closed hearing that ended with no decision on her bid for shared custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline. The court was expected to issue a written ruling by Tuesday after extensive testimony was presented on a number of issues, lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

Spears did not comment after the hearing. Earlier, she uttered an epithet when a reporter asked how the proceedings were going.

Attorney Sorrell Trope, who represents Spears, said "something has changed, but I can't say what." He said Spears was pleased, but he declined further comment.

Each parent will have a day with the boys this weekend, Kaplan said during a short news conference.

The three-hour hearing was held before Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who previously said there was evidence that Spears is a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol.

He had withdrawn approval for her to even visit the children after finding she had failed to comply with some conditions for shared custody.

He later withdrew the ban and allowed her to visit Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 - but only in the presence of a court-approved monitor.

Spears arrived at the courthouse eating cheese puffs in her white Mercedes-Benz convertible. She giggled when asked by reporters outside the courtroom if she was nervous.

She was escorted by sheriff's deputies and wore a black print dress and cowgirl boots. Her brown hair was lightly streaked with blonde highlights and she carried a large handbag.

Federline arrived a few minutes after Spears, wearing a gray pinstriped suit and an earring in his right ear.

Both were under court order to attend the proceedings.

They were asked to stand, raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth, which they did.

A few moments later, Gordon closed the hearing to the media at the request of Trope, who was expected to argue that Spears had complied with court orders and should regain the shared custody she lost earlier this month.

The previous court order by Gordon was tough and unambiguous. Spears was to undergo random drug and alcohol tests and meet weekly with a parenting coach who would report back to the court about her parenting skills.

Spears and Federline also were prohibited from making derogatory remarks about each other in their children's presence and from using "corporal punishment" to discipline them. Both parents also were ordered to complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.

As Spears attempted to regain custody of her children, her mother, Lynne Spears, announced plans to write a book about raising her family in the glare of the media spotlight.

"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is set for release May 11, which is Mother's Day, said Curt Harding, a spokesman for Thomas Nelson Inc., a Christian book publisher. He did not release further details.

Via forbes