Custody disputes can take a toll

Sometimes a Maryland resident embroiled in a divorce can see a custody dispute coming from a mile away. The proceedings get contentious, neither side can agree to any term offered by the other side and both sides are fighting to gain child custody in any way they can. When it comes to this, some people just feel hopeless. That may be a factor for actress Kelly Rutherford, who is currently going through some serious ups and downs in her child custody dispute with her ex-husband.

Rutherford, mostly known for her time spent on the hit television show “Gossip Girl,” was married to a German man with whom she had two children. The children are still young, only ages 6 and 3, and Rutherford has indicated that she has expended an enormous amount of energy – and money – in the ongoing dispute. So much so that she recently said she has spent “every penny.”

The low point in the proceedings for Rutherford was probably last year when a judge ruled that the two young children should reside with her ex-husband primarily. He lives in Monaco Europe.

As this case goes to show, a child custody dispute can leave the parties desperate and searching for answers. However, for many couples going through a divorce, and perhaps some of our Maryland readers, the proceedings do not need to be defined by tension and conflict. It is usually in the best interests of the child or children involved to attempt to work out a mutually agreeable arrangement, if at all possible. Joint custody is always an option, and creative arrangements for physical custody and legal custody are also usually encouraged, as long as the plan is satisfactory to both parents and prolonged litigation can be avoided.