There are many different things that could raise a divorced parent’s concerns when it comes to the well-being of their children, including the environment and people their children are or are likely to be exposed to when with the ex-spouse. Sometimes, concerns over such things lead to child custody disputes.
Given that child custody disputes can be over a wide variety of concerns, it is not at all surprising that the types of evidence and testimony that can play a role in child custody cases can vary considerably.
Given a recent decision by a judge, it appears that the testimony of an NFL owner who has been in legal trouble lately will play a role in a child custody case. The case is from Indiana.
The case involves a man and a woman who got divorced in 2013. The former couple has two minor children. In their divorce, a child custody agreement was reached. This agreement put a joint custody arrangement in place.
Now, however, the man and the woman are in a child custody dispute. The dispute centers on the individual who owns the home the woman now lives in: the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay.
The man claims that his children are being exposed to Irsay’s presence when they are with the woman, and that such exposure may be harmful to the children’s well-being. Earlier this year, Irsay was arrested in relation to an alleged incident of driving while he had impairing substances in his system.
In relation to this child custody dispute, the man subpoenaed Irsay to testify. The man’s ex-wife subsequently submitted a motion to the court asking that the subpoena be killed, but a judge recently ruled against that motion. Thus, it appears that Irsay will testify in this case.
While this case is from another state, it demonstrates a point that it can be important for individuals who are in custody disputes here in Texas to keep in mind: there are many different issues regarding evidence or testimony that can come up in custody cases. What decisions courts ultimately make regarding such issues can have significant impacts on the course of a case. Attorneys can provide parents with help with testimony-related and evidence-related steps and proceedings in child custody cases.
Source: Indianapolis Star, “Jim Irsay must testify in divorced couple’s child custody case,” Mark Alesia and Tim Evans, July 9, 2014