Sometimes when a couple divorce it is because their values and priorities have evolved separately, to the point they have little in common anymore. Such may be the case with the recently filed divorce of a Florida banker and a full-time Occupy Wall Street protester. And yet no matter how much a couple has drifted apart, if they have children they must continue to work together to raise them.
The husband in this case, who works as a banker in Florida, was given custody of the couple’s four children.
The wife is the protester listed her income as “0” in the divorce papers. For couples with highly disparate income levels, it can be difficult to find a way to fairly divide property.
The couple’s different viewpoints may be one reason they drifted apart, but the fact that the wife moved to New York to take part in the protests, leaving her husband and kids in Florida, probably didn’t help the marriage either.
Given the husband’s more stable financial future, it may not be too surprising that he was awarded custody of the children. And yet other factors were probably considered by the court as well. In Colorado, courts decide child custody issues based on what is in the best interests of the child. The wishes of the parents are considered, as are the wishes of the child if the child is old enough to communicate a preference independently and without undue influence from a parent. The way the parent and child interact is considered, as is the child’s adjustment to school, home and community.
Child custody is often the most difficult issue in a divorce. Colorado courts do their best to make decisions that are best for the child. When divorcing parents can put aside their differences long enough to come up with a mutually acceptable parenting plan, the children benefit enormously.
Source: New York Magazine, “Occupy Wall Street’s Main Mom Divorces Banker Husband” Caroline Bankoff, Oct. 28, 2012
