After a marriage is deemed unsuccessful, divorce typically follows. This can be an emotionally taxing time for any couple parting ways and can be made more complicated by children attached to the relationship. It is important for the divorcing parents to make decisions supporting the best interests of the child – despite any differences they may have. Several couples in Texas have recently fought over child custody. These struggles are not unlike the recently publicized divorce and custody battle of the reality star, Bethenny Frankel.
Not only has Frankel gone through a contentious divorce, but the entirety of the situation has been publicized. The most recent development deals with the child custody battle over her 4-year old daughter. Court testimony confirmed the publically tumultuous relationship reported between the two. Testimony revealed that Frankel admitted to threatening her ex-husband stating, “You’re not going to see your daughter.”
In the heat of the moment, these types of threats could come easily. However, a divorce where one parent is barred from custody is rarely in the best interests of the child. Many factors go into determining how and if child custody will be shared including the wishes of the child, physical and mental health of the parents, age and sex of the child, a need for a stable environment, evidence of any child abuse, religious considerations, relationships with other family members, and any other relevant factors affecting the child.
Thankfully for Frankel’s daughter, her parents were able to settle out of court agreeing on a shared custody arrangement and she will no longer be caught in the middle of a no-doubt emotionally stressful situation. This was in the best interests of Frankel’s daughter. What is in the best interest of any child involved in a divorce is dependent upon the factors surrounding the divorce and the child’s environment.
Source: pagesix.com, “Bethenny Frankel settles bitter custody battle,” Julia Marsh, June 4, 2014