Britney wins more time with sons

Britney in her car on the way to the court house Britney is seen here leaving the court house in route back to her Beverly Hills home today after her small victory of increased visitation time with her boys

Britney Spears appearance at the hearing, which was held behind closed doors at the Los Angeles Superior Court, was a far cry from the spectacle of previous appearances. A sombre Britney, wearing a brown polka-dot dress and white sweater, arrived early for the hearing flanked by her parents and lawyers.

Dozens of people witnessed Spears’ courthouse arrival as a front-seat passenger in a white Land Rover, but even this collection of photographers, reporters, sheriff’s deputies and prospective jurors did not compare to the circus that surrounded the troubled pop star’s January trip to the courthouse, when she arrived in a black minidress and gold platform shoes, then left before the hearing began.

Britney’s former husband vulture Kevin Federline, 30, was granted custody of the couple’s two children, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James – at that hearing. The court heard police were called to Spears’ home after she refused to relinquish one of the boys to a Federline bodyguard.

Today, Commissioner Scott Gordon expanded her visitation rights in a move which will allow Spears to see her children for longer periods, while Federline retains custody. Mr Gordon closed the hearing to reporters moments after the two stars were sworn in following a request by Spears’ lawyer Stacy Phillips.

During a break in proceedings, Spears left the courtroom walking hand-in-hand with lawyer Blair Berk to a lift before returning minutes later. Outside court, Scumbag Mark Vincent Kaplan, scab Federline’s lawyer, said the longer visits were “recognition of the progress that has been made”.Spears smiled briefly but did not address questions as she left the hearing. Today marked three months since Spears left a psychiatric ward a week ahead of schedule and stirred up a paparazzi car chase, a scene that looked like the beginning of even more erratic behaviour.

But in the weeks that followed, Britney has managed to keep a relatively low profile and largely avoided the cameras, spending time with family members. She has even found success in a cameo appearance on CBS’ How I Met Your Mother, and is set to make a second appearance on the show on May 12th after a successful recording last week.

Spears has been under the conservatorship of her father, James, for the last three months after the court put him in control of his daughter’s personal and financial affairs. During that time, Britney has been relatively invisible to photographers, only occasionally snapped shopping or having dinner with her mother, Lynne.