As his professional basketball team was fighting for the NBA championship last week, Dwyane Wade was fighting his own battle for custody of his children. Wade, who had a difficult divorce from his wife in 2010, has had primary custody of his two sons since early 2011. Wade is now seeking to block his ex-wife's child visitation rights because of her conduct last week, which culminated in police intervention being necessary to retrieve the two boys.
The basketball star's ex-wife, who lives in Chicago, allegedly refused to give up physical custody of their two sons so that they could fly to Florida for game three of the NBA Finals. Police have charged her with resisting arrest, attempted child abduction and interfering with child visitation. As a result of the charges, the player's attorney has requested that the court suspend her child visitation rights and require any future visits to occur under supervision.
Wade's ex-wife was released from custody, and her attorney has denied allegations of wrongdoing. The attorney also stated that the severity of the incident has been greatly exaggerated. He said that the children were safe with the mother and that she could not initially be reached to arrange a transfer of the children because her phone was off at the time.
While the Heat were able to wrap up the championship, Wade may have to continue his custody battle for a long time into the future. Many divorced couples in Florida may have disagreements about custody similar to Wade's. Sometimes negotiation and mediation can help couples agree upon a mutually acceptable arrangement. Of course, if things do get tense, the court system provides an opportunity for a final resolution. In Florida, courts may require specific and extenuating circumstances before granting sole custody or sole parental responsibility.
Source: The Republic, "Dwyane Wade asks court to suspend ex-wife's child visits," Andrew Stern, June 19, 2012.
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