For parents ending their marriage in North Carolina, the key concern they have may be maintaining a close relationship with their children. Parenting arrangements, including child custody and visitation, can be extremely important in protecting the parent-child relationship as well as a source of contentious disputes during the divorce process. These concerns shared by millions of parents are not foreign to celebrities and other high-profile figures.
Morena Baccarin, the star of the TV show “Gotham” and multiple films, has settled a long-running child custody battle with her former spouse, Austin Chick, over two and a half years after Chick filed for divorce. In the agreement, Baccarin, 31, will pay her former husband $5,000 each month in spousal support until the end of 2018. Baccarin and Chick will also share the residual income from some of Baccarin’s projects. In addition, Baccarin will pay $3,500 each month in child support to Chick for their son until his 18th birthday; the couple’s son is currently 4 years old.
The custody battle has gone on since June 2015 when Chick filed for divorce from Baccarin after a marriage that lasted three and a half years. The former couple will share legal and physical custody of their son, who will be based in New York City. Baccarin had previously held primary physical custody of their son and obtained permission from a judge in Los Angeles to bring him to New York. Now, Chick will also move to New York where he will retain the home the couple purchased in the city during their marriage.
Whether a parent is dealing with a high-asset divorce with complex assets or a more straightforward situation involving one home, a family law attorney may be a key ally in the child custody process. A lawyer may be able to advocate for the best interests of the child and work to obtain a custody agreement that protects that relationship.