It appears that Olympic skier Bode Miller and his son’s mother have made some headway in establishing a workable parenting plan. As New Jersey residents have probably gleaned from headlines, Miller and his ex-flame, Sarah McKenna, have been involved in a heated and very public child custody dispute.
McKenna, while pregnant, moved from California to New York to complete a degree at Columbia University. However, after Miller claimed paternity, a Manhattan judge accused McKenna of being irresponsible and trying to take advantage of New York’s child support guidelines, which offer a longer payment period than California’s guidelines.
The case was sent to California, where Miller was given temporary custody.
Women’s advocates have claimed that the New York judge’s decision is essentially a penalty for McKenna, and that the decision wrongly allows soon-to-be fathers to determine where pregnant women can reside.
An appellate court in New York overturned the lower court’s decision, and that reversal gave custody back to the mother.
However, in a more recent turn of events, the mother and father have agreed to let the 9-month-old child live with the father for four months, meaning the little boy will be able to travel to Russia, where Miller will be competing in the Winter Olympics.
The decision to share that parenting time is not the end of the case, though. Another court date has been scheduled for late March.
New Jersey residents with their own child custody concerns may want to pick up the Miller story again next spring.
In the meantime, to learn more about child custody issues in New Jersey, please visit our family law site.
Source: FOX News, “Olympian Bode Miller reaches custody deal with ex-girlfriend, will take 9-month old son to Sochi Games,” Dec. 10, 2013
