On Sept. 6, it was reported that actor Jesse Williams and his ex-wife reached an agreement in regards to their child custody case in California. The two parents have a son and daughter together.
The former couple reportedly split in April 2017. While the actual breakup was allegedly amicable, the subsequent custody dispute quickly turned nasty. The ex-wife claimed that Williams had a violent temper and was emotionally compromising the children as a result. Williams responded to these accusations by saying that the ex-wife’s statements were false.
Ultimately, Williams and his ex-wife agreed to share joint legal custody of the two children. There are other stipulations that must also be followed by both parents. Neither parent is allowed to talk badly about the other in the presence of their children, and the children cannot be used to give messages to the other parent. Further, neither parent can introduce a new significant other to the children until the relationship has lasted for six months. It was not known if the former couple had reached an agreement regarding physical custody.
When ccourts deal with child custody disputes, they make decisions that are in the best interests of the children. In order to make these decisions, ccourts may analyze a variety of factors that can include relationships between the parent and the children, if the parent can provide a stable home life for the children and whether or not the parent has a history of drug abuse. If the parents are not able to agree on a visitation schedule or a parenting plan, a family law attorney could represent the parent when the case goes before a judge. The attorney may provide evidence that demonstrates that the children would benefit from living with the parent.
Source: Nicki Swift, “Jesse Williams and estranged wife Aryn Drake-Lee reach child custody agreement“, Emily Surpless, 09/06/2017