Britney and Kevin Settle Custody Dispute

Whatever will I write about now that this is over?  And really, did anyone think they would litigate this?

Kevin was awarded sole custody of the children, with Britney receiving 1 overnight and 2 day visits during the weeks.  Britney will get additional time as her mental health improves.  Kevin will now receive $20,000 a month in child support, an increase from the $15,000 he was receiving.  What exactly are these kids eating?

While I'm sure Britney would not have gotten more had she litigated this, I can't help felling sorry for these boys.  They are so young to be raised without their mother.

Statements from the attorneys are after the jump.

"The case has been settled," Kevin's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan said. "This is the end of a two-year journey."  Britney's attorney, Laura Wasser, said outside the courtroom after the hearing: "Britney's doing great. She's very pleased [with the settlement]. The kids are with her right now."  Without giving details, Wasser confirmed that Britney did win "more custodial time" with the boys.

Custody arrangements are very fluid, and the status can change up until the kids are 18 upon motion of either of them to the court.  Or, they can do it informally, with the children just going back and forth between the parents without argument, which is what I hope will happen in this case.  Once Britney gets her act together, it would be great to see her have more of a full time mothering role of her two sons.

source, source
 

Comments

[ivymae]

It sounds so weird to say, but I really hope these boys have an excellent, devoted nanny who is in it for the right reasons.

[cindy w]

Ivymae: that doesn't sound weird, I was thinking the same thing.

You have to wonder which is worse: children who grow up without a mother (or in this case, with very limited access to one) or children who grow up exposed to a parent's mental illness. Either way it's pretty lousy. I feel for those kids.

[emily]

I'm sure it's much worse to grow up with limited access to a mother than to grow up with one that has a mental illness that is TREATED. Treated is the key word. There are many people in the world that are very functional and successful and have mental illnesses (such as bipolar disorder). I don't know what Britney's mental issues are, but they seem a little bipolar. Hopefully as time goes by and she is properly medicated and treated, she will earn more time with her children. I'm certain they would benefit from having a mother who loved them and herself enough to come out on top (hopefully) after going through such hard times.
Sorry this post is so long, it's a subject close to my heart.

[ivymae]

Very well said Emily.

[cindy w]

Sorry if I offended, Emily. I definitely meant UNTREATED mental illness. If Britney is successfully getting help, then great, I hope the custody arrangements change and that she gets more access to her boys. I was just thinking that the Britney we all saw earlier this year - the head-shaving, British-accent-speaking, public-weeping, locking-herself-in-the-bathroom-with-her-baby Britney - is one that no child should have to grow up with.

I have a cousin and a very dear friend who are both bipolar, but they're on medication and in therapy, and they're coping with it. I happen to think both of them would be fabulous mothers if they should ever choose to have kids. I certainly didn't mean anything negative toward people who get treatment for their mental illness. I apologize if my earlier comment came across as insensitive.

[kelly]

Mental illness aside...this is the typical visitation schedule given to fathers, regardless of their mental state. A man can be the best father in the world and only gets minimal time with his kids per the typical court ruling of "standard" visitation. Does anyone ever feel sorry for the kids who are "raised without their fathers?"

[emily]

Oh no no! Cindy you didn't offend at all! In the instance of children raised without fathers, or with minimal time with their fathers, I also feel very sorry for that - it's sad that it is often the standard. In an ideal world children would be raised with both parents (or parental figures ie: grandparents, close relatives, etc.), but unfortunately we are in the kind of world where that doesn't happen too often. It would be great if parents who divorce could have equal time with their children, no matter if they are women, men, etc. (not sure what the etc. is, but I thought I would cover all of my bases!)
In my case, I don't know what I would do without both of my parents and the time I have spent with them in invaluable. It would have been awful to not have them around as much as possible.