Several months ago this blog discussed the divorce proceedings involving media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Wendi Deng. Recently the Murdochs appeared in court in New York to announce they had reached a settlement of all issues between them, thus avoiding the need for a trial.
The terms of the settlement, set forth in a 100-page document, are confidential. The settlement still needs the approval of a judge, which will render the divorce final.
According to insiders, the negotiations regarding property division went relatively smoothly. This may be due to the fact that the couple had entered into one prenuptial agreement and two postnuptial agreements.
Negotiations over the issue of child custody, however, were apparently somewhat antagonistic. The couple have two daughters, ages 10 and 12. People close to the Murdochs who are familiar with the agreement say Deng will continue to live with the girls in the couple’s Park Avenue home.
Child custody is often a contentious issue in divorce. In Colorado, courts refer to custody as parenting responsibility and to visitation as parenting time. The parent who is awarded parenting responsibility is entitled to make critical decisions regarding the child’s upbringing, including decisions about education, health care and religious tradition. Parenting time defines when the child spends time with each parent. In deciding parental responsibility and parenting time issues, Colorado courts look to the best interests of the child. Factors that go into the determination include the parents’ wishes, the child’s wishes if he or she is mature enough, how each parent interacts with the child, and others.
Source: New York Times, “Rupert and Wendi Murdoch Reach a Divorce Settlement,” Peter Lattman, Nov. 20, 2013
