One question looms large for many people who paid more than scant attention to the recent divorce settlement between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
Namely, that is this: Given all the dire projections of “experts” concerning how tense and lengthy the discussions would be concerning child custody, how did the couple manage to reach agreement on this matter within a mere handful of days following the divorce announcement? How were they able to resolve what many commentators viewed would be a sticky issue so quickly?
In the opinion of one author and family law mediator, the celebrity couple did nothing more than what most splitting couples do when child custody issues confront them: They reined in their emotions, acted sensibly and were guided predominantly by what they considered to be the best interests of their young daughter.
That is not an insuperable undertaking in most divorce negotiations, and child custody-related matters and concerns are often able to be resolved logically and with a fair amount of dispassion. An experienced family law attorney with proven acumen in divorce negotiations and in mediating divorce issues can often help a help a couple or divorce client focus on and frame what is most important and best promotes the interests of children and family members in a divorce.
Some custody disputes do indeed escalate into conflict, but statistics indicate that only about four percent of child custody cases proceed to trial, with most of those, too, settling.
Contact an experienced Fulton County family law attorney to discuss any questions or concerns regarding a child custody matter, including visitation, parenting time or other considerations.
Source: Huffington Post, “How to settle child custody in Holmes-Cruise speed,” Laurie Giles, July 14, 2012
