Contrary to most expectations, Britney Spears did eventually show up in court for the second half of Monday’s hearing in the bitter custody battle between her and ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

However, the troubled singer only did so because she was strongly advised to by her legal team. She finally arrived in court but spent less than 30 minutes before taking off, and according to a court spokesman, Britney didn’t even make it into the hearing.

Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon left in place a ruling that stops Britney from visiting with her young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, at least until another hearing scheduled for Feb. 19, Federline’s lawyers said outside the court.

"The word 'victory' is not something Mr. Federline or his counsel would subscribe to this result," Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told reporters. "Not that it wasn't the result he was seeking, but this was a grave situation for everybody. Mr. Federline is pleased that it's an appropriate order, but he is not joyous or victorious. His hope for the future is that at some point, he will be able to parent the children, the minor children, with participation from their mother."

The pop star lost the custody of her children back in October and was only granted visitation rights, which were suspended following her public meltdown on January 3, when she was rushed to the hospital for a psychological evaluation after refusing to hand over her children to Federline’s bodyguard.

The reasons behind Britney’s departure from court on Monday were unknown, but according to, TMZ.com, she madly screamed at photographers who were swarming the courthouse, "Move back. I'm scared. Stop it. Stop it. I want to get back in the car. Just stop it. Let me get in the car, please." Soon afterwards, she was spotted by the paparazzi entering a church, and then grabbing lunch before heading back home.

Court officials said six witnesses, including two officers called to Britney's home Jan. 3, parenting coach Lisa Hacker and court-appointed monitor Pamela Strong, testified during the hearing, but they would not discuss specifics.

"This ruling is a result exclusively of what Commissioner Gordon heard and had before him at the end of the court day," a court officer said at a press conference Monday afternoon.

The only way Britney will get to see her kids before February’s hearing is if her team asks for an emergency hearing and changes the current ruling.