There are many Texas residents who are fans of the Winter Olympics. These amazing athletes seem virtually unstoppable on the snow or ice, but outside the spotlight, many of them face their own personal battles. One such incident is the current child custody battle between gold medalist Bode Miller and an ex-girlfriend.
The woman is the mother of his 9-month-old son. She is a former Marine who moved from California to New York while she was pregnant in order to attend school. She originally lost custody of the boy after the judge ruled that the case should be decided in California. However, an appeals court decision changed that ruling so that the case could be heard in New York, where the boy was born in February.
Miller has had custody of the boy since Oct. 1. Miller, who married another woman while his ex-girlfriend was pregnant with his son, has been traveling around the world with the boy. He even plans to take him to the Olympics in February. The boy’s mother had only seen the boy for 48 hours.
The boy’s mother now has physical custody of the boy, at least until Dec. 9 – the former couple’s next court appearance. This is despite the fact that the judge found it disgraceful that the woman moved out of state while she was pregnant. In her defense, the woman was offered a scholarship at Columbia University in New York and did not want to pass up that opportunity.
The two had a brief affair after meeting on an online dating site. The woman alleges that Miller wanted her to abort the baby, but Miller has filed for custody.
As seen here, child custody cases can be dramatic, even when the parents were never married. It is likely that both Miller and the woman will share joint custody of the boy. It is highly unlikely that one parent will get full custody unless it is proven that either parent is unfit. Advice from family law attorneys can prove invaluable when child custody matters become an ongoing battle.
Source:
New York Daily News, “Olympic skier Bode Miller to appear in Manhattan court over custody battle with former lover” Barbara Ross and Dareh Gregorian, Nov. 25, 2013