Britney Spears' father will retain broad control of the pop star's financial and business affairs until the end of the year, a court ruled on Thursday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz made the ruling after a hearing attended by lawyers representing Spears, who lost control of her estate after a string of public meltdowns earlier this year.

"Miss Spears reluctantly agreed that we extend the temporary letters," Goetz said after laywers had huddled for two hours behind closed doors. The conservatorship order will remain in place until 31 December.

Jamie Spears was granted conservatorship of his daughter's assets in February after she was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital psychiatric ward.

It was the culmination of more than a year of lurid headlines that dogged Spears in the wake of her 2006 split from husband Kevin Federline.

Spears has recently shown signs of getting her life back on track however, keeping a low profile and settling her dispute with Federline over custody of the couple's two young children.

Spears shot to superstardom in late 1998 with her smash-hit debut album 'Baby One More Time', which she followed with another chart-topping success the following year, 'Oops!... I Did It Again'.

AFP