The divorce, child support and domestic abuse cases of former Dallas Cowboys football star Deion Sanders and his estranged wife have made constant headlines since Sanders filed to end the couple’s 13-year marriage in December. Several judges have ordered the battling spouses into their respective corners to limit some of the bitterness each has displayed in private and public.
The latest round in family court involves the couple’s daughter and two sons. A judge decided that Sanders’ wife should receive $10,500 a month for court-ordered child support and $275,000 toward her legal fees. No provision for spousal support was reported.
For now, the wife can visit, but she does not have physical custody of the children.
A week before the latest ruling, a Texas judge awarded temporary child custody to Sanders. The couple has apparently agreed to visitations until a court resolves the matter of full custody later in May.
Legal restrictions are in place to force Pilar to maintain a 500-yard distance from the couple’s mansion, presumably to prevent outbreaks of verbal or physical abuse between the parents. The spouses each alleged domestic violence during a dispute last month at their Prosper, Texas, home.
The couple shared their Dallas-area mansion after the announcement of the divorce. The wife reportedly has another home, where she is likely to stay to comply with the restraining order.
Sanders has not kept the divorce matter private. He has posted frequent updates about the couple’s personal dispute on Twitter.
The court-ordered psychiatrist may try to judge the effect the public display of the contentious divorce is having on the couple’s young children. The results of those findings may directly affect how Sanders and his estranged wife co-parent in the immediate future and after the divorce is finalized.
Source: ABC News, “Deion Sanders Ordered to Pay Pilar Sanders $10.5K Per Month, $275K Legal Fees,” Kevin Dolak, May 16, 2012