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Britney in Crisis

Originally posted Thursday January 10, 2008 12:00 PM EST

Lynne (in Louisiana on Jan. 4) "is a dedicated mother doing the best she can," says Britney'sformer agent Nancy Carson. Photo by: INF

Also blindsided: Federline, 29, who just hours before his ex-wife's implosion was relaxed and optimistic about the new year during an interview and photo shoot with PEOPLE. Still, speaking about his upcoming stint on the CW's One Tree Hill, he noted of his character's fate on the show, "it's not death. What would that do to the kids if they saw Daddy die? It's not happening."

Following the events of Jan. 3, Federline "is sad; he's upset," says a source close to him. "His tight circle is even tighter." The police, in fact, placed a five-day restraining order against Spears, and Federline bulked up security at his Tarzana home, where he spent much of the weekend watching football, and a longtime nanny helped care for the boys.

Meanwhile, the Spears-Federline custody battle is even more snarled than ever: Already complicated by Spears' continued failure to comply with court orders – the morning of Jan. 3 she had shown up more than an hour and a half late to a deposition with Kaplan – the case remains a complex one: "There are a lot of balls in the air right now," says Kaplan.