New Jersey residents may have heard that on September 7, a nine-month child custody battle between Madonna and her former husband, Guy Ritchie, was resolved, according to reports. The former couple had been fighting for custody of their 16-year-old son, but details of the agreement were not released at the time of reporting. The couple had been divorced since March 2008.
According to reports, the legal dispute began December 2015 after the couple’s son refused to obey a court order in which he was required to return to the US to live in New York with his mother. Instead, he preferred to live in London with his father, Guy Ritchie, who works as a film director.
When the court battle started, the pop singer turned to social media and pleaded with the estranged teenage son, who is her eldest son, to return. Madonna also let her feelings about her estranged teenage son affect her career. In March 2016, she dedicated a song, called La Vie en Rose, to her son and became very emotional on stage as she spoke about him.
Since the case has been highly public in nature, a judge has urged the boy’s parents to try to settle the custody dispute in a peaceful way for the best interest of their son. A New York Supreme Court judge also advised the boy’s parents to cease from pressuring him.
Madonna and her former husband, Richie, have two sons. Madonna also has two other children from a previous marriage, and Richie has three children with his wife, Jacqui Ainsley.
Divorce is often an emotionally and financially difficult process, especially for couples with high assets. Those who are facing divorce might want to contact separate family law attorneys who are experienced in helping to protect each spouse’s financial interest. The attorneys could also work to find a mutually agreeable way to settle a child custody dispute that might arise between the couple, such as through a parenting plan.
