A California judge has blocked Nadya Suleman's attempt to prevent a guardian from overseeing her children's finances. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Associated Press)

A California judge has rejected an attempt by octuplet mother Nadya Suleman to prevent an independent guardian from overseeing the finances of her children.

Judge Gerald Johnston ruled on Friday that California law allows Paul Peterson, president of an advocacy group for child actors, to make the petition for financial guardianship even though he has no direct relation to the children.

In July, Johnston appointed a lawyer to oversee the estate of the children. Suleman tried to have the appointment dismissed, saying they had no need of a guardian.

Johnston denied the request and on Friday said social workers will have to investigate and make a recommendation on Petersen's petition by Oct. 29.

Peterson, a former Disney Mouseketeer and teen actor on The Donna Reed Show, is president of the advocacy group A Minor Consideration. He has alleged labour abuses, contending that a video shot of Suleman's 14 children violated a law aimed at protecting child entertainers from overwork. His suit seeks to create an independent trust for the children.

Suleman, 33, has signed a deal with European production company Eyeworks for a reality television show. Collectively, the children will earn nearly $250,000 US over the three years of filming. Shooting is scheduled to start Sept. 1.

On Wednesday, the Fox network broadcast a two-hour special on Suleman's life with her children.

She has also been the subject of photo spreads in tabloids that showed her cradling her infants and donations have been collected for the care of her children.

She was already the mother of six young children when she became pregnant with the octuplets through in vitro fertilization. The octuplets were born in January.