The Trials and Tribulations of Britney Spears

Feb. 29, 2008 — -- It's not Starbucks, the Roxy or Gymboree. The one place Britney Spears (or at least people representing Spears) has frequented more than any other in the past year and half is … court.

Since filing for divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline, Spears has muddled herself in a multitude of legal messes, from minor infractions (running over a paparazzi's foot) to major mess-ups (refusing to give up custody of her sons to Federline). Below, a timeline of Spears' trials and tribulations:

Nov. 7, 2006: After little more than two years of marriage, Spears files for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences. She asks for sole custody of their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, allowing Federline visitation rights. Attorney Laura Wasser is hired to represent Spears in the case.

Nov. 8, 2006: Federline retaliates, filing for sole custody of the boys, allowing Spears visitation rights. He also asks the court that Spears assume both their legal costs, since she initiated the proceedings.

March 29, 2007: After shaving her head and making two quick visits to rehab, Spears and Federline reach a settlement "on all issues of their marriage and child custody," which allows them to equal custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James.

July 26, 2007: Spears violates the terms of the custody agreement by taking the boys out of state on a jaunt to Las Vegas. Her bodyguard, Cesar Julio Camera, gets into a fight with a photographer outside the Wynn Las Vegas, and is later charged with battery.

July 30, 2007: Spears and Federline's divorce is made official.

Aug. 2, 2007: Still, legal drama continues when Federline's team sets out to serve subpoenas to people close to Spears, including her assistant, Alli Sims. Spears' on-again, off-again manager, Larry Rudolf, reportedly goes into hiding to avoid being subpoenaed. Weeks later, a process server for Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has his car rammed by Spears friend Sam Lutfi when he tries to serve Lutfi with a subpoena.

Spears in Malibu Oct. 4, the day a judge decreed she can have monitored visits with her sons.

Oct. 11, 2007: After one week of random drug tests comes up clean, a Los Angeles superior court commission grants Spears one monitored overnight visit each week with her sons.

Oct. 16, 2007: Spears goes to a Los Angeles police station to be fingerprinted, photographed and booked on two minor traffic charges.

Oct. 18, 2007: Claiming she failed to follow court orders handed down the previous month, Federline's lawyers request that Spears' visitation rights be suspended. Their request is granted.

Spears was hysterical as she was taken from her home Jan. 3.

Jan. 4, 2008: At an emergency hearing, a judge gives sole custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James to Federline.

Jan. 5, 2008: Spears is unexpectedly released from the hospital early after TV shrink Dr. Phil pays her a visit.

Jan. 8, 2008: Police impound Spears' car after finding it abandoned on the street.

Jan. 12, 2008: Federline's lawyers asks the LAPD to release its report on what happened at Spears' home during the Jan. 3 incident.

Jan. 14, 2008: After multiple testimonies from LAPD officers, Spears' parenting coach and bodyguard Lonnie Jones, a judge keeps in effect an order suspending Spears' right to visit her sons, keeping them in the custody of Federline. Spears showed up at the hearing but abruptly left before going in.

Jan. 23, 2008: Once again, Spears shows up at a custody hearing but leaves before going in. Lawyer Kiley confirmed she and her legal team will stay on the case, despite the motion filed Jan. 2.

Jan. 25, 2008: Spears' lawyer wins more time to work on her driving-without-a-valid license case.

Jan. 31, 2008: Surrounded by a small army of police, family and friends, Spears is rushed from her home to UCLA's Medical Center for a 72-hour emergency psychiatric hold.

Feb. 1, 2008: Spears' father, James Spears, is put in charge of her welfare during a surprise court appearance by him and her mom, Lynne.

Feb. 4, 2008: Spears' stay in the psychiatric ward is extended for two weeks under a section in state law that allows patients to be kept for medical treatment if they are found to be gravely disabled or a danger to themselves or others. Meanwhile, at a child custody hearing, a judge ruled that she still can't see her kids. And Spears' father was granted control of her finances until Feb. 14 by another judge who also barred Spears from contacting Lutfi.

Spears drove out of the UCLA Medical Center Feb. 6

Feb. 14, 2008: A court extends the conservatorship of Spears and takes actions intended to give her father and a lawyer access to money in the pop singer's trust to cover her needs.

Feb. 19, 2008: A judge denies lawyer Kiley's request to issue a gag order Spears' child-custody battle.

Feb. 20, 2008: A judge halts Spears' driving-without-a-license case after her lawyers say they don't believe she is capable of resolving the matter.

Feb. 21, 2008: After three weeks of trying, lawyers for Spears' parents finally serve Lutfi a restraining order ordering him to stay at least 250 yards away from her and barring him from communicating with her.

Feb. 22, 2008: Federline's attorney announces he and Spears couple agreed to a modification of a court order that allows her to visit her sons.

Feb. 23, 2008: For the first time in nearly three months, Spears sees Sean Preston and Jayden James and spends three hours with them.

Feb. 26, 2008: A Los Angeles federal judge rejects a motion to move the Spears' conservatorship case to U.S. District Court, as Spears' dad and a lawyer who claims to represent her argue about whether James is violating her civil rights.

Feb. 27, 2008: Los Angeles police say they're looking into allegations that someone -- perhaps Lutfi, though they declined to name a suspect -- drugged Britney Spears but have not decided whether to open a formal investigation.

Reporting contributed by Sheila Marikar and The Associated Press.