The breakup between Ciara and Future has resulted in a custody battle and a defamation lawsuit against Future. Celebrity news outlet TMZ reported that a California judge will likely assign joint legal custody to both parents.
When Ciara initially asked for sole custody of their son, who turned 2 years old in May, she allegedly told the court that Future showed little interest in being a father. She claimed that he was largely absent from the boy’s life. Sources close to the family reported that she made additional negative remarks about the father in court.
As for the defamation lawsuit, she is asking for $15 million and wants to prohibit Future from talking publicly about her or mentioning the baby on social media. Although Future is believed to have said negative things about Ciara, he arrived at court and requested joint legal custody. If the family court does agree to award joint legal custody, the status will not necessarily mean that both parents will have equal time with the child. It does, however, grant both parents a right to make certain decisions about the welfare of their child.
Child custody disputes can rapidly turn contentious. Unfortunately, many parents view them as battles to be “won” or “lost” when in reality it is often the child that suffers the most. In an attempt to avoid bitter and protracted litigation that can become prohibitively expensive, family law attorneys will sometimes recommend to their clients who are going through one that they should first attempt to resolve the issues through mediation or negotiation.
Source: Jezebel, “Ciara and Future Are Reportedly Headed Toward Joint Custody of Baby Future“, Julianne Shepherd, May 17, 2016