Michigan fans familiar with the Bravo reality TV star Bethenny Frankel may find it interesting to learn that following a contentious and bitter battle in court with her husband over the custody of their now four-year-old daughter, the couple has agreed to share parenting duties.
The child custody dispute between the parties arose when the now-43-year-old Bethenny sought a divorce in 2012 from her husband. Prior to the marital discord, the couple shared their lives on a reality TV show on the Bravo Network. According to Bethenny, her ex-husband was very unhappy with the divorce filing, and professed to destroy her. However, she indicated that in a fit of anger she threw water at him as he was sleeping and threatened that he would never see his daughter again.
Despite their disagreements and ongoing divorce proceedings, the couple continued to share their multi-million dollar home. However, earlier this year, Bethenny ended up moving out of the home for the reason that living together had become too difficult.
According to media reports, under their child custody agreement, the two ex-spouses will have equal parental rights to their daughter. The good news in this case is that their daughter will be able to spend time with and be raised by both parents. Furthermore, she will not be subjected to the disagreements her parents have had throughout this high-profile case.
Child custody issues are a tender, but very contentious, matter for many divorced or divorcing parents. Where a parent once enjoyed a great deal of time with his or her child, post-divorce, that amount of time will necessarily change. No parent wants to have such limited time with his or her child. However, depending on the custody arrangement, the ability of the parents to work together and the best interest of the child, a court may determine a custody arrangement. For parents interested in learning more about how divorce impacts child custody and parenting time, they may want to consult with a family law attorney for more information.
Source: New York Daily News, “Bethenny Frankel, estranged husband Jason Hoppy reach custody deal for their daughter,” Barbara Ross and Bill Hutchinson, June 5, 2014
