Custody Fight Over Boy Gets Heated

The battle over a 5 year old boy, who deputies say was the victim of a mop handle attack, got ugly Tuesday.

It was the day after Thanksgiving, when 7 year old Jeremy Dickerson was found dead inside his parents Anderson County home.

Britney Marriage Broke Over Kids, Federline Says

Kevin Federline said his two year marriage to Britney Spears broke down because he focused on his children but he was "completely blindsided" when the pop star went behind his back and filed for divorce.

Federline, 30, the dancer and wannabe rapper who married Spears in 2004, told People magazine in a rare interview he fought hard for custody of their two young sons.

Cleveland Custody Case Getting National Attention

A press conference was held at the Bradley County Courthouse Wednesday involving a movie producer, a member of the Institute for the American Family, a Constitutional attorney and a Cleveland man who are questioning the child custody practices in the Bradley County Court system.

Jeremy Hopkins has been litigating for two years to get a divorce from his wife and to arrange a custody plan for their daughter Kate, 3.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie Settle Custody

Now that Madonna and Guy Ritchie have acted their age and agreed on joint custody, will the former power couple be able to swallow their bitterness for the sake of their kids?

"The good news is that they spared the children the pain and suffering of a protracted custody battle," says Amy J.L. Baker, a developmental psychologist with an expertise in children and divorce. "The real challenge now is if these two people, who have a lot of hostility between them, can figure out how to co-parent these kids. It's enormously difficult, and very easy to get it wrong."

Ark. Seizes 21 More Kids from Evangelist's Group

State officials on Tuesday took into protective custody 21 children associated with an evangelical group whose founder faces federal child sex charges.

The children, all younger than 18 and part of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, were taken while custody hearings were being held for six girls seized during a September raid of Alamo's compound in Fouke, in southwest Arkansas. The court must decide whether the girls should be returned to their parents or remain in state care.

Learn About New Custody Provisions in Florida

Q: I am getting divorced. A friend told me Florida has a new law about child custody. Will that affect my case?

A: Earlier this year, Florida’s Legislative modified the child custody provisions of Florida Statute Chapter 61. That chapter deals with divorce, child support and related issues.

Hospital Run Could Cost Britney Custody

Talk about a bad reaction.

On her first trip with her sons back to Louisiana since she lost custody, Britney Spears' youngest son, Jayden James Federline, was rushed to the hospital for having what Spears' reps deemed a "reaction to something he ingested."

Although the 2-year-old tyke has since been released and declared "fine," it's possible an even worse reaction could transpire, should Kevin Federline seek to restrict Spears' remaining custody rights for the duo's two sons.

Teens Abandoned Under Nebraska Safe Haven Law

A 16-year-old girl dropped off Sunday under Nebraska's flawed safe-haven law was a ward of the state of Arizona from August to October of 2008, Nebraska health officials state in a news release.

The girl's mother brought her to the Midlands Hospital in Papillion, Nebraska (pictured) on Sunday afternoon and legally abandoned her, according to the release.

From the release:

Based on information available so far, DHHS’ understanding is that in October, the Arizona court agreed to dismiss the case at the request of the mother, who desired to return to Nebraska to have more support from family and friends located here. The mother and daughter appear to have returned to Nebraska just last week.

Father of Kidnapped Boy Granted Full Custody

The mother of six-year-old kidnapping victim Cole Puffinburger has lost her full-time custody rights.

Wednesday, a family court judge awarded temporary full-time custody to Robert Puffinburger, Cole's father. And there is a disturbing reason behind the decision. News 3's Dan Ball explains why police are now looking into whether Cole's mother had something to do with his abduction.

It was just about two weeks ago on October 15 that Cole Puffinburger was violently taken from his home.Thankfully, it was just three days later that he was found.

But now, new information just released by Metro shows some odd behavior by his mother Julie several weeks before the abduction.

Collapsed International Marriages Rasie Child Abduction Issue

Japanese women from collapsed international marriages are increasingly bringing their children to Japan without confirming custody rights, creating diplomatic problems between Japan and other countries, it has emerged.

In one case three years ago, a Japanese woman's marriage to a Swedish man collapsed and she brought their child to Japan. Later when she traveled to the United States by herself she was detained, as police in Sweden had put her on an international wanted list through Interpol for child abduction. She was sent to Sweden and put on trial.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction bans people from taking their children to their home country after a collapsed marriage without confirming issues such as custody and visitation rights. The convention has about 80 signatory countries, mainly in Europe and North America, but Japan is not one of them.

50 Cent Wraps Up Custody Deal

There'll be no more kidding around for 50 Cent. At least, not in court.

The rapper and his former girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, have reached a settlement in their ongoing and bitter custody dispute over 11-year-old son Marquise, announcing this morning they have managed to broker a visitation schedule outside of court, thus avoiding the burden of a high-profile trial.

"I'm happy it's actually done with," Fiddy told reporters outside the Suffolk Family Court of the deal, despite the fact that it grants him less visitation time with the boy than he originally sought.

During this morning's five-minute hearing, in which both the rapper and Thompson were present, but avoided eye or any other contact, lawyers disclosed that 50 Cent will see his son one weekend per month, one month in the summer and spend half his winter and spring breaks in his father's custody.

Connecticut Says Mandatory Parenting Classes Allowable

A state law requiring Connecticut couples to take parenting education courses as a condition of their divorce cases is constitutional and protects children's interests, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The high court, in a unanimous ruling, rejected an appeal by Bristol resident Thomas Dutkiewicz stemming from his 2006 divorce.

Dutkiewicz said forcing parents to attend the classes is akin to convicting a person without a trial, since the law does not consider whether a person already is a good parent.

He also said it infringes on constitutional guarantees of freedom of choice in family matters and violates parents' right to choose what is best for their children.

The Supreme Court upheld a trial court's decision that the classes achieve "a compelling state interest by aiming to maintain familial harmony through a difficult transition."

North Dakota Child Custody Reform?

Existing child custody laws in North Dakota do not work as well as they could.

Divorce is most often hard. And the more the divorce is a matter for the court, given our adversarial legal system, the harder it becomes to have a good solution. That seems especially the case when it concerns the children of divorce.

Of course, there are couples who have divorced who have acted responsibly toward their children. They may be in the majority. However, in those occasions where a child or children become the focus of passionate, even obsessive, disagreement between parents, then something must be done.

Ideally, the laws and regulations that guide families through divorce should treat all parties fairly, within reason, with the needs of any children in the family considered first and foremost. These laws and regulations should be humane. Compassionate, yet firm and frank.

The Legislature’s Judicial Process Committee has endorsed changes in the state’s child custody laws that do much to improve the existing situation. The proposal originated with a North Dakota State Bar Association task force. When lawmakers arrive in January to do their work, this reform of child custody should be a high priority.

Sharon Stone Schooled in Custody Deal

Sharon Stone's son will remain a Frisco kid for the time being.

A San Francisco court's ruling that Roan, Stone's 8-year-old son with ex-husband Phil Bronstein, should continue to live in the Bay Area with his father is not a refutation of Stone's custody rights—rather, it's only an order mandating that Roan stay in his current elementary school, according to Stone's attorney.

Despite a judge's statement that Bronstein "shall have permanent sole physical custody," Stone still retains joint physical and legal custody of Roan, per their original agreement filed on Oct. 4, 2007, attorney Martin Singer told E! News Tuesday.

What happened was, the judge denied Stone's request to have Roan attend school in Los Angeles, saying the child was to “permanently stay in San Francisco,” Singer added.

Dead-Broke Deads and the Challenges to Parenting

“Deadbeat Dads” has been the headliner of multiple stories in multiple newspapers for decades. Cook County launched “Operation Father’s Pay”; Butler County in Ohio put faces of these so called deadbeats on pizza boxes; and the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced their “Most Wanted Delinquent Parent” list. Several other states have begun similar campaigns to collect on un-paid child support. All of these humiliating campaigns launched against these fathers would have us believe that the men targeted are insensitive deadbeats who are selfishly stiffing their children; however, research contradicts this.

The fact that many of these types of campaigns struggle to come up with alleged “deadbeats” who have an education or a middle-class job might give less zealous public officials cause to stop and pause. Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement data shows that two-thirds of those behind on child support nationwide earn poverty level wages; less than four percent of the national child support debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year. According to the largest federally-funded study of divorced dads ever conducted, unemployment, not willful neglect, is the largest cause of failure to pay child support.

The “Most Wanted Deadbeat Parents” lists that are put out clearly illustrate this problem. Far from being lists of well-heeled businessmen, lawyers, and accountants, the vast majority of the men on these lists do low wage and often seasonal work, and owe large sums of money which they could never hope to pay off. Even a person with a college degree is a rare find on these lists. Nevertheless, the powers that be who create these lists say that the men on the lists are singled out for their “ability to pay”.

Virginia’s “Most Wanted” list was topped by a laborer, a carnival hired hand, and a construction worker. These men collectively somehow owed over a quarter of a million dollars in child support. A plumber topped the Texas “most wanted” list as the highest wage earner. Kentucky’s list sported only one obligor with an education, and the most common designation for occupation was “laborer.” Near the top of Arizona’s list was a maintenance man who owed $90,223 and, best of all, a roofer who owed $240,581. One wonders what the financial condition of those who weren’t “singled out” for their ability to pay is.

'PARAMOURS' OFTEN SEEN AS PROBLEM

In Family Court, they are called "paramours," and they can play a major role in child custody cases.
Live-in boyfriends are eyed suspiciously, children's advocates and attorneys say because they are often the most dangerous person a child encounters.
Judges frown on unmarried couples living together so much that some have been known to invoke the state's 200-year-old fornication law to encourage a single mother to avoid allowing a boyfriend to stay at her house.
Often, she says, the death of a child comes at the hands of an adult caregiver who is not related to the victim. What police say occurred in the Hillerby case is nearly identical to a 2007 St. George case. Donald Joseph Mauldin last year was sentenced to 50 years for killing his live-in girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter.
"A lot of live-in boyfriends don't have the affection or the bond with a child, and no experience as a parent," Ralston says. "We have found that the risk to children increases when they are exposed to multiple adults."
And it is even worse when that is a person who doesn't understand a child's behavior, or how fragile they are.
"They may even feel jealous of the relationship the child has with its mother," Ralston said.
Some states have even considered harsh penalties against parents who move in with a lover. In Iowa, the state legislature has considered a law that could cost a parent custody of her children if she allows a boyfriend to move in. Iowa lawmakers say 26 percent of child deaths in that state between 1995 and 2000 involved live-in lovers.

BALDWIN LASHES OUT AT DIVORCE LAWYERS

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger's cutthroat custody battle over their 12-year-old daughter, Ireland, has made international headlines for years. The couple divorced in 2002 after nine years of marriage, but the vicious accusations on both sides continued, culminating in the infamous 2007 voice-mail message in which Baldwin berated his daughter.
In an interview with ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, Baldwin, 50, spoke about his lengthy court struggles with Basinger, 54, and said that when the voice mail was released, it brought him to the brink of suicide.
"I used to pray to God every night. I would get in bed, and I would say, please, don't let me wake up in the morning," Baldwin said. "I began to think about what little town I would repair to in order to commit suicide. And then you, obviously you say, well, what would that do to my child if I killed myself? Me, I really didn't care about me."
After the media storm and new round of custody litigation that followed the voice mail release, Baldwin nearly broke his own promise to never give up on his daughter. Deterred by the barriers that he believes his ex-wife imposed on his relationship with Ireland, Baldwin said he almost lost the will to keep fighting.
"I don't care if the judges and the lawyers die of heart attacks in the process of getting their job done. They are corrupt, inefficient, lazy, stupid -- they're the most God-awful people."
Baldwin believes that many family court lawyers and their manipulations and delays make the child custody duel much worse than it needs to be. "The judges are like pit bosses in Vegas casinos. Their job is to make sure everybody stays at the table and keeps gambling."
Baldwin's clashed with Basinger for nearly eight years: there are hundreds of documents, 91 court proceedings so far, and about $3 million in legal costs.

Tennessee to Revoke Hunting, Fishing Licenses of Deadbeat Parents

The state is warning parents delinquent on child support payments that they risk losing drivers licenses, professional licenses and hunting and fishing licenses if they don't pay.

A news release from the Department of Human Services Tuesday says letters are being delivered to parents across the state behind at least $500 and haven't made a payment in more than 90 days.

More than 7,000 licenses were revoked last year for failure to pay, and there are more than 20,000 licenses currently at risk. Professional licenses that could be revoked include those of registered nurses, real estate agents, security guards and teachers.

Parents can prevent revocation if they contact their local child support offices to set up payment plans or simply repay the past due amounts.

Couple Wins Damages in Messy Custody Battle

An American woman who badmouthed her former husband and his new wife during a custody battle, claiming they abused drugs, and had paedophilic tendencies, has been ordered to pay R150 000 in damages to the couple by the Pretoria High Court.

Judge Chris Botha ordered that the man receive R100 000, and his wife R50 000. The Midrand couple claimed a total of R600 000 in damages - R300 000 each.

The parties are not being identified to protect their 13-year-old daughter, who is the subject of their bitter custody battle.

The court heard that after their divorce, the mother at first had custody of their child. The father later obtained custody and the mother moved to the US with her new husband in 2004. The daughter often visited her there.

When the child visited her in June 2005 the mother decided not to send the child back. She obtained an interim custody order, without the knowledge of the father, from a court in New York.

This was the start of a lengthy legal battle between the two, both in South Africa and in the US.

Custody Battle In Japan Highlights Loophole in Child Abduction Cases

Shane Clarke had no reason to be suspicious when his wife took their two children to Japan to see their ill grandmother in January.

The couple had married four years earlier after meeting online, and settled down with their daughters, aged three and one, in the west Midlands. Clarke, they agreed, would join his family in Japan in May for a holiday, and they would all return together.

Last week, however, he faced his wife and her lawyer in a Japanese courtroom, uncertain if he would ever see his children again. When his wife left the UK, Clarke now believes, she never had any intention of returning with him, or of letting her children see him.

"From the moment I met her at Narita airport I knew something was wrong," Clarke told the Guardian before a custody hearing in Mito, north of Tokyo. "I soon realised she'd played me like a grand piano. The whole thing had been orchestrated," he claims.

Clarke, a 38-year-old management consultant from West Bromwich, has gone to great lengths to win custody. The Crown Prosecution Service said his wife could be prosecuted in the UK under the 1984 child abduction act.

However, he can expect little sympathy from Japanese courts, which do not recognise parental child abduction as a crime and habitually rule in favour of the custodial - Japanese - parent.