Louis Tomlinson avoids court showdown with custody deal

Pop star Louis Tomlinson has reached a temporary custody settlement with the mother of his newborn son.

The One Direction singer had been preparing to face off with Briana Jungwirth in court on Friday (26Feb16), amid allegations suggesting the Los Angeles-based stylist had been limiting his access to one-month-old Freddie Reign because she wanted more financial support.

Louis' lawyers had planned to ask a judge to formally establish paternity so the 24-year-old could fight for visitation, but hours before the hearing, the exes managed to strike a deal, reports TMZ.com.

Under the terms of their makeshift agreement, Louis will be able to see his son for several hours during the week, although he will not be allowed overnight visits.

Lawyers for the two parties are reportedly working out a formal settlement to cover both custody and child support, as Louis had previously just been paying Briana's expenses, which varied on a weekly basis.

The former lovers, who conceived Freddie during a fling last year (15), are said to have recently fallen out over money as they tried to establish a fixed monthly amount.

News of Louis' legal nightmare emerged just two days after the pop star returned to his native U.K. for the first time since becoming a dad, to attend the 2016 BRIT Awards in London and reunite with his bandmate Liam Payne.

Speaking to reporters on the afterparty red carpet on Wednesday night (24Feb16), he admitted being away from Freddie was hard.

"(Fatherhood) is good," he told ITV2. "It's intense. It's really exciting... This is my first time away from Freddie so it's tough."

Louis' trip to London was at least worthwhile as One Direction won British Artist Video for the Year for Drag Me Down, an honour he collected with Liam and dedicated to their fans.

"It really is times like these that prove to us we have the best fans in the world," he said. "This award is for you."