Last week, we discussed how Deion Sanders’ ex-wife had received a brief jail sentence after a judge found that she violated a visitation schedule. However, that was not the only custody-related development that has recently occurred when it comes to Sanders and his ex-wife. Sanders’ ex-wife also had her visitation rights revoked regarding the former couple’s three kids.
This matter illustrates one of the options a parent can have when they suspect that the current terms of a custody/visitation order might no longer be in a child’s best interests: to make a request to a court to change the order.
Sanders argued that his ex-wife’s conduct was such that it was no longer in their children’s best interests for her to have visitation time with the kids. Among the things Sanders said that his ex-wife was doing that were against the children’s best interests are: trying to turn the kids against him and brainwashing the kids.
In relation to these arguments, Sanders made a request that the terms of the former couple’s divorce decree be changed. As we mentioned in our last post, the divorce decree granted Sanders’ ex-wife visitation rights. In his modification request, Sanders asked that the decree be modified so that his ex-wife no longer has these visitation rights.
The judge that considered this request ruled in Sanders’ favor and granted the decree modification Sanders was asking for, thus taking away Sanders’ ex-wife’s visitation rights.
For most parents, one of the things that matters most for them is ensuring their child’s best interests are protected. Thus, it can be incredibly troubling for a divorced parent when it comes to their attention that their child’s other parent may be doing things that are harmful to their child’s best interests. Child custody attorneys can help parents who are in such a situation figure out whether they could pursue a custody/visitation order modification or other legal actions to protect their child’s best interests.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, “Deion Sanders’ ex-wife jailed, loses rights to see kids,” Valerie Wigglesworth, Dec. 16, 2014