Britney Spears due in court today

Troubled pop wreck Britney Spears is due in court today for a make or break hearing in her ongoing child custody dispute with ex husband Kevin Federline.

The 'Toxic' singer has been warned that she must attend is she wants to stand a chance of seeing her children before APRIL.

K-Fed's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan has described the hearing as 'the most significant hearing in the case so far.'

But insiders fear Britney may not even show up at court given her recent erratic behaviour.

Testimony at the hearing will likely be heard behind closed doors.

It is expected to include evidence and reports from police and emergency medical staff that were called to Spears' Hollywood mansion two weeks ago in a standoff involving her refusal to return the children to Federline.

After that incident Britney was forcibly hospitalized by authorities who were fearful of her mental state.

Attorneys for Federline, 29, have already used evidence about the incident to persuade a judge to temporarily revoke her visitation rights with sons Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2.

Brit was released by hospital staff the following day but shocked her family and friends by immediately leaving the U.S. for an overnight stay in Mexico with her British paparazzi boyfriend Adnan Ghalib.

Britney currently has no visitation rights with her sons.

Lawyers for Federline say they have no idea whether Britney will show up for the hearing. "I don't know if she will be there," Kaplan said.

If she does turn up, Kaplan said she would be expected to testify. "She will have the opportunity to persuade the court that she can have some visitation under monitored conditions.

"These are very, very draconian orders in place. Because of that the court wanted to have a hearing to give her and her attorneys the opportunity to refute some of the declarations."

Kaplan added: "No judge likes making orders terminating a person's involvement with their kids."

Los Angeles police have vowed to be on hand to deal with the crowds likely to swarm the downtown court ahead of the hearing.

Recent court and public appearances by the pop star have resulted in chaotic affairs as dozens of freelance photographers, passersby with mobile phone cameras, and tourists interfered with police and fire crews

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said last night: "Uniformed Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation personnel will be on hand to facilitate the flow of vehicle and pedestrian
traffic outside the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse."

By Eric Munn, Jan 14 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy