LOS ANGELES -- Britney Spears will get another chance next month to persuade a court commissioner to restore her visitation rights to see her two little boys.

The pop star went to a courthouse on Monday but never made it inside, leaving abruptly amid a swarm of paparazzi without attending a hearing in her child-custody battle with her ex-husband. A new hearing was scheduled for February 19.

Superior Court commissioner Scott Gordon heard a day of closed-door testimony from ex-husband Kevin Federline and witnesses to a bizarre situation this month: Police took the pop singer to a hospital after a standoff in which she refused to return the boys to Federline's bodyguard after a visit.

Gordon ruled that a January 4 emergency order suspending Spears' visitation rights and giving custody to Federline would remain in effect.

"The word victory is not something Mr. Federline or his counsel would ascribe to this. There is no joy. This is a grave situation for all," Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said outside the courthouse.

Although Federline agreed with the ruling, Kaplan said, "his goal, his hope for the future, is at some point he will be able to parent the children with the participation of their mother."

Kaplan would not answer questions.

Court spokesman Allan Parachini said those who testified were two Los Angeles police officers; Paula Strong, the court-appointed monitor who was present for the visit at Spears' home; Lisa Hacker, a parenting coach who has been working with Spears and Federline; and Lonnie Jones, the bodyguard.

Parachini would not say how they testified.

Neither Spears nor Federline had to attend. Federline arrived early, sporting a mohawk-style haircut and dressed in a suit. Spears didn't arrive until early afternoon.

A sport-utility vehicle took her into a garage, but only her attorneys got out before it left. It later stopped outside the courthouse, where Spears got out of a passenger seat and took over the driver's seat. It was not clear in the crush of photographers whether she or a companion was at the wheel when it left.