MALIBU, California (AP) -- As Britney Spears was reportedly checking out of a drug rehabilitation center for the second time in a week, her estranged husband was making plans to go to court amid a custody dispute over their two children.
Kevin Federline and his lawyer were scheduled to appear at a downtown courthouse Thursday for an emergency hearing, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini told The Associated Press.
"Our best information is he will be here; she won't," said Parachini. "But anything is possible."
It was not known what issue Federline planned to raise.
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Federline and Spears have two sons, 5-month-old Jayden James and 17-month-old Sean Preston.
Federline filed papers seeking spousal support and sole custody of the children after Spears sought to end their two-year marriage last November.
A temporary court order issued February 1 granted the couple joint custody until the end of this month.
Parachini said Federline's lawyer would try to convince a Superior Court commissioner that the matter is urgent enough to be handled quickly.
Leaving rehab twice in one week
Spears bolted from a live-in rehabilitation facility early Wednesday, less than a day after checking in, according to several reports.
It was the second time in a week that Spears reportedly entered a rehab facility and checked out before her first day was finished.
Federline's manager, Dan Dymtrow, said there would be no comment on the latest Spears departure.
The television news magazine "The Insider" initially reported that Spears called a car service, walked out of the Promises Malibu Treatment Center and left the facility early Wednesday morning. (Watch signs that Spears was in need of help )
Later, the TV show "Extra" and the celebrity Web site TMZ.com said the 25-year-old pop star had left the center far short of the usual 45-day stay. TMZ said she couldn't handle rehab and went home.
Entertainment TV shows and Web sites reported Friday that Spears had gone in and out of rehab that week. Some reports identified the facility as Eric Clapton's Crossroads center in Antigua, in the Caribbean, but the AP wasn't able to confirm those reports.
Eddie Michaels, a spokesman for the public relations agency that handles Promises, said he had no comment. He would not confirm that Spears had been there or that she had left.
There was no response to an e-mail sent Wednesday to Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph. On Tuesday, Rudolph said Spears had voluntarily checked herself into an undisclosed treatment facility.
"We ask that the media respect her privacy as well as those of her family and friends at this time," Rudolph was quoted as saying.
He didn't disclose why she entered rehab.
Spears had a weekend that included shaving her head, tattooing her wrist and clubbing with friends. On Friday night, she sheared off her hair at a salon. Spears was later seen wearing an inexpensive blond wig.
Since filing for divorce from Federline in November, Spears has been photographed pantyless, wearing skimpy outfits and partying heavily.
