Sometimes, legal disputes arise between divorced/divorcing individuals regarding child custody/visitation. This can be seen in some news that has recently arisen regarding a celebrity divorce.
The divorce in question is the divorce of NBA star Dwayne Wade and his ex-wife. The former couple recently reached a settlement regarding the financial issues related to their divorce. This settlement, however, has not brought an end to the legal battling between the two. It has been reported that the two are now engaged in a legal dispute regarding child visitation.
The former couple has two sons. In 2011, a judgment was issued regarding the custody of the children. In this judgment, Wade’s ex-wife was granted visitation rights. Included among the visitation rights that were granted to her under this judgment was the right to equal parenting time with the two boys during summers (with the children alternating between the ex-wife and Wade at two-week intervals during summers).
Reportedly, Wade recently did not turn the children over to his ex-wife for one of her scheduled visits with the children and he submitted an emergency motion regarding the child custody/visitation arrangement set by the 2011 judgment. In this motion, Wade is asking that the arrangement be suspended until his ex-wife undergoes a psychological evaluation. Reportedly, Wade is basing this request on arguments that recent behavior/actions by his ex-wife have not been in the children’s best interests.
Wade’s ex-wife, on the other hand, argues that Wade did not have the right to deprive her of her visitation rights regarding the children and that his actions have violated the 2011 child custody/visitation judgment. In relation to these arguments, Wade’s ex-wife reportedly is planning to request that sanctions be leveled against Wade and that Wade be required to hand the children over to her for scheduled visits.
One wonders what will ultimately happen in this child visitation dispute.
Child visitation disputes, like the one discussed above, can be very emotionally charged and can involve many complex legal issues. Thus, such disputes can get very complicated very fast. What happens in child visitation disputes and how such disputes are ultimately resolved can be very impactful on all of the parties involved. Thus, if a person is involved in a child custody dispute, having strong representation can be very important.
Source: The Chicago Sun-Times, “Wade, ex-wife divorce battle escalates,” Maudlyne Ihejirika, July 27, 2013