Through the morning newspapers in Tennessee, social media and television, Clarksville residents are updated about recent celebrity divorces. Most of the time, famous personalities who file for divorce fight in court for the money and properties obtained during the marriage; however, if the couple has children, the divorce may result in a complicated child custody battle.
In child custody cases, many believe that joint custody should be ordered to enable both parents an equal share in the upbringing and parenting of the child. However, each case is different and the divorce can greatly impact the children. Because of this, court decisions must always focus on the best interests of the child.
Information about the divorce of Deion Sanders and his wife Pilar may have aired on the Tennessee news. Each parent is battling for the custody of their three children, who range in age from 9 to 12.
Ahead of the court trial, the judge who handled the couple’s case issued a brief decision regarding the future of the children. According to the report, the judge decided that both spouses will have shared custody of the three kids, yet some specific details benefit the father specifically. Deion Sanders was granted the right to decide the children’s primary residence, education and athletic activities. All other matters that concern the welfare of their children will be decided by both spouses together.
The recent decision was a change from the previous custody arrangement shared by Deion and Pilar, wherein the father had full custody of the two boys and the mom had full custody of the daughter. With split custody, each parent will now have arrangements to spend time with all three kids. Additionally, Deion Sanders was requested to pay $5,500 in child support every month.
In these types of cases, the parents’ divorce is probably already hard for the children and disagreements between the parents can make the situation a lot worse. Still, although it may be hard for divorced parents to have an amicable relationship, putting aside their issues may make a difference. Focusing on what can benefit the children could be more important than the issues concerning the divorce.
Source: NBCDFW.com, “Judge: Deion to Make Educational, Residential, Athletic Decisions for Children,” Frank Heinz, Jan. 16, 2013