Custody battles are rarely easy for parents or their children. As the parents battle it out to see who will win custody, the children must wait to see where they will end up when all is said and done. Everyone involved may have an idea of how they want things to go, but they cannot always expect to get what they want because the courts can sometimes surprise people. Even the parents who think they have a good chance of being awarded sole custody could end up with less than that or nothing at all.
Fox’s Bill O’Reilly has lost his custody battle against his ex-wife for their two children, aged 16 and 12. O’Reilly was seeking to be the sole decision maker, but the Supreme Court has decided that the children would be better off with their mother and only awarded him visitation. It was alleged that this decision was made partly due to the desires of the children and the living environment the mother can provide for them. The mother has been awarded primary residential custody, but the two parents are to share in the decision-making.
There are many different ways that custody battles can end, so parents should be prepared for anything to happen. If they cannot work together to find an arrangement that everyone can benefit from, the courts will decide for them. And, with parents sometimes wanting to use the children against each other, joint custody may be the likely choice. For any parent who is hoping for the best outcome, hiring an attorney to assist with this process could be a wise move.
Source: New York Daily News, “Bill O’Reilly loses custody battle with ex-wife over their two kids,” Stephen Rex Brown, Feb. 29, 2016