LOS ANGELES (AP) – The in-and-out-of-rehab saga that has been dogging Britney Spears the past week is moving to a new venue: family law court.

Ms. Spears’ estranged husband, Kevin Federline, and his lawyer were scheduled to appear Thursday at an emergency hearing in family law court, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini said. It was not known what issue the 28-year-old aspiring rapper planned to raise, though the former couple are in a custody dispute over their two children.

“Our best information is he will be here; she won’t,” Mr. Parachini said. “But anything is possible.”

Mr. Federline sought spousal support and sole custody of Jayden James, 5 months, and Sean Preston, 17 months, after Ms. Spears moved to end their two-year marriage in November, but a temporary order issued Feb. 1 granted joint custody through this month.

His attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, did not return a call seeking comment.

The hearing comes amid increasingly bizarre behavior by Ms. Spears, which culminated with her reportedly checking into and out of two rehab centers in a week and shaving her head bald on Friday.

Manager Larry Rudolph issued a brief statement Tuesday confirming the 25-year-old pop star had entered rehab. On Wednesday, he referred inquiries to Gina Orr, the publicist at Jive Records, Spears’ label, who did not respond to e-mail and phone messages.

Ms. Spears left the Promises Malibu Treatment Center on Wednesday, according to “The Insider” TV news magazine, less than a day after arriving. The center specializes in treating drug and alcohol abuse.

Last week, she reportedly sought treatment at a center in the Caribbean but also checked out after a day.

The next day, she arrived at a San Fernando Valley hair salon, grabbed an electric razor and shaved her head bald. Afterward, she visited a tattoo parlor, where she had a pair of red-and-pink lips inked onto her wrist. Then she went out clubbing with friends before apparently checking into Promises.

In public again Wednesday, Ms. Spears attempted to keep a low profile, but the celebrity Web site TMZ.com posted video of her wearing a wig and leaving what it said was a lawyer’s office.

Whether her recent behavior will damage her recording career is hard to say, said Vibe magazine music editor Jon Caramanica.

Ms. Spears, whose 1999 debut album “… Baby One More Time,” sold more than 13 million copies, hasn’t released a new album since 2003. Before her troubles began she had promised one this year, and Mr. Caramanica suggested that might be a good outlet to address what she’s going through.

“I think the best thing she could do is make an album that engages with this subject matter in some way,” he said. “Not only to have a good album but to have an album that’s a declaration of emotional health.”
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AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.