Lawyers for Spears and Federline spar over money

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lawyers around troubled singer Britney Spears battled in court on Monday over her parenting issues and $1 million in legal bills with one judge ruling the pop star should receive $1,500 a week to spend.

That sum must seem like a small amount for the former child star, who in 2002 was named the world's No. 1 celebrity by Forbes magazine after earning $39.2 million in one year.

But since 2006, Spears' life has spiraled downward. She divorced husband Kevin Federline, spent time in rehab, lost custody of her and Federline's sons, and this year was hospitalized twice for psychiatric evaluation.

In January, her father Jamie Spears won control of her personal and business affairs via a conservatorship, and on Monday Court Commissioner Reva Goetz said he could give Britney a debit or credit card with the $1,500 per week to spend.

Goetz also authorized a $135,000 bank account, controlled by Jamie Spears and a second co-conservator, to pay bills and said conservators could hire an entertainment attorney.

Spears, 26, would appear to need some legal advice because she will appear as a guest star on a new episode of CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother," a network spokeswoman said.

A second source close to the show said the episode would tape this week and likely air on March 24, adding that Spears took part in a "table read" rehearsal on Monday.

As a result, Spears was not in court again after missing many hearings throughout 2007 and this year. Her court-appointed attorney Samuel Ingham said he did not know why she was not coming.