Britney Spears-fit parent?

Going commando in miniskirts isn't exactly something to convince a judge you're fit to have custody of your children. Of course, Britney didn't just forget a vital piece of clothing, she looked intoxicated and unhinged.

Will a judge see it that way?

Being a star makes it more difficult to do the crazy divorce behavior, but when push comes to shove, a judge isnt looking at star power, he's looking at parent power.

So what does Britney's behavior do to her chances of retaining custody.

via fox

Britney Spears should probably put some underwear on — or at least avoid being photographed without it — and stop her alleged all-night partying if she wants custody of her two young sons.

That's the advice of divorce lawyers who say that an inappropriate photo,

"It's not smart," he said. "My recommendation to her is that she mind her Ps and Qs. Everybody's watching — not only the news media and the paparazzi, but the judge. Now is not the time to party. Now is the time to be Super Mom. If she were my client, that's what I'd tell her to do."

Certified family law specialist Evan T. Sussman, who practices in Beverly Hills, Calif., said the courts tend to put more weight on bad behavior that's recurrent rather than on isolated incidents.  Here's hoping the judge doesn't do a search on some of the "candid paparazzi photos"...   I found at least three different occassions of britney flashing someone, though admittably not all were commando... I wonder if thats going to be taken into consideration...

"If it's just a one-time thing, that's not nearly as relevant as if it's habitual," said Sussman. "I don't think one photo is going to be an end-all."

Sussman said courts look closely at factors like psychological stability and problems with drugs or drinking when determining which parent should have custody.

"A psychologist basically interviews both parents," he said. "They go through psychological testing and they make a recommendation to the court. Something like that is given great weight in custody battles. The courts look at totality of circumstances."

A judge would also consider the parents' prior conduct and determine who has been the primary caregiver, according to Sussman. He said the indiscretions caught on film this week would be much more damaging if Britney's children had been with her at the time.

One family therapist said Brit's shenanigans are an indication that she's going through a selfish phase.

"None of this is in the children's best interests," said Boulder, Colo., clinical psychologist Shirley Thomas, who specializes in separation and divorce. "When someone is acting out, they're rather absent in parenting the child emotionally even when they are with the child."

She doesn't believe Britney's bad behavior means she's an unfit mother. If anything, she said, the custody battle Spears and Federline are embroiled in is more harmful to the kids than anything Spears has done on her own.

"These two need to get onto the co-parenting bandwagon, put down the weapons and work together," said the author of "Parents Are Forever."

Good legal advice.

But I've seen other blogs where people have basically said that it's nobody's business what happens with those kids.

If this is a one time spree that would be true. However, if Britney or her x can't behave like adults, then there could be a point when social services would step in.

At that point, it would be everyones business.

For now, I agree with the other bloggers. At this minute there is no reason to believe she is neglecting the children or abusing them.