Lohans Resume Legal Drama

Michael Lohan makes good on his promise to resume their bitter custody battle by forcing a hearing on the issue

The battling Lohans have going a-courting again.

After complaining that Dina Lohan failed to live up to the custody arrangement they hammered out in their divorce settlement last year, Michael Lohan made good on his promise to resume their testy custody fight by forcing a hearing on the issue.

Lindsay Lohan's estranged parents appeared in a Nassau County, N.Y., courtroom this morning alongside their attorneys to address the family patriarch's assertion that he hasn't been getting regular visits with 14-year-old Ali and 11-year-old Cody, purportedly because they've been too busy costarring with his ex-wife in E!'s new reality series Living Lohan. (E! Online is a divison of E! Entertainment Television.)

After holding a closed-door session with the two sides, Family Court Judge Stacey Bennett expressed optimism that the dispute will be resolved.

"I'm encouraged that the parties and counsel are working at ways to repair the relationship between the children and the father," she said.

Per the custody agreement, Dina received primary physical custody over the two minors who live with her in the Long Island community of Merrick while Michael was granted visitation and took up residence in nearby Southhampton.

Since 21-year-old Lindsay and her 19-year-old brother Michael are now of age, for once they weren't involved in the elder Lohans' legal squabbling.

But in an exclusive interview with E! News, Michael Sr. made clear he wasn't happy about the current situation.

"She's missed 19 out of 31 appointments I had with my kids," he said. "Now, I'm giving her one last chance to let me see them one day a week, on my own, and to go to therapy with them one day a week. If not, we'll drag this through court again."

He also accused his former missus of becoming a "diva" ever since she landed her TV deal.

"All I want is for her to live up to what she agree to and stop missing our meetings. When the time comes, she always has an excuse, and I am tired of it. I won't put up with it any more. My kids haven't even seen my family in too long."

It looks like they got their work cut out for them. But there are signs of progress.

For one, outside the Nassau County Family Court building, Michael told reporters that he and Dina would no longer be making public statements about the matter for their children's sake.

Bennett subsequently scheduled a follow-up hearing for July 14.