Halle Berry's daughter has been appointed her own legal representative to act in the child's best interests as the actress battles her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry over custody.

The Oscar winner has been locked in a bitter battle with model Aubry over the care of three-year-old Nahla since they split in 2010 and the former couple returned to a Los Angeles court on Friday.

According to TMZ.com, Aubry was ordered to appear in Dependency Court after officials at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services expressed concerns about his ability to safely care for Nahla following an investigation into claims of child endangerment.

The move came just weeks after Berry sought to ban Aubry from contacting Nahla after former nanny Alliance Kamdem accused the model of shoving her while she was holding the child.

During Friday's hearing, a judge assigned Nahla her own legal counsel. No further details about the court proceedings were available as WENN went to press.