Britney SpearsBritney Spears has been ordered to pay $375,000 of ex-husband Kevin Federline’s legal fees and her conservators have been given permission to sell off some of her cars after two court hearings yesterday.

Kevin’s legal team had hoped that the singer would pick up his full legal bill of nearly $500,000 which has been accumulated over the last year in the couple’s ongoing custody battle but Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon issued the $375,000 order in response to arguments presented last week.

In a later hearing yesterday, Andrew Wallet, a lawyer appointed to look after Britney’s estate while his co-conservator Jamie Spears cares for her general well-being, requested permission to sell some of the singer’s luxury cars.

Britney had collected a number of cars over the last 18 months, including at least two Mercedes, an Audi, a Mini and at least two rented Cadillac Escalades and Court Commissioner Reva Goetz, overseeing her conservatorship, gave authorisation for the sale/return of nine of the vehicles. No details of the exact models or makes were given but Britney’s court appointed lawyer Sam Ingham said he had no objection to the action.

The second court hearing also saw the signing off of the extension of Sam Lufti’s restraining order. Sam agreed to the 30 day extension, saying he felt it was best for both him and Britney. He is now banned from contacting the singer or going within 250 yards of her, her family or her properties until 16th April.

In related news, a source close to Mel Gibson has said that the actor’s dinner date with Britney on Saturday night wasn’t the first time the pair had met up.

The source told People magazine that the Gibson and Spears families have met up several times since Britney left hospital last month: “Mel and his wife Robin clearly saw a woman in crisis and wanted to extend themselves in any way possible.”

“There’s just a handful of people in the world who understand the kind of intense attention that Britney goes through, and how to raise a family with some semblance of privacy and how to keep one’s family intact and out of the limelight.”

“There are no expectations, there is no agenda. It’s simply an act of human kindness - one neighbour reaching out to the other.”