Interesting custody story in local news...

This has become a rather interesting story of a custody fight between a basketball star and his wife.  Now after these children have been with their mother as their primary parent for years while their father traveled on the road, suddenly every newspaper article I'm reading is painting this mother as 'crazy' or 'unstable'.

Now I don't know any of the principals in this situation personally and it could very well be that this young woman is suffering from the early stages of a mental breakdown, possibly even due to the stress of an almost 5-year long custody fight against her millionaire ex-husband; however, it just seems that this is a very typical story-line used when men wish to remove children from an already established custodial arrangement...

Actually most mothers that I know who have lost custody of their children were painted as 'unstable'.  I've rarely heard of fathers having custody switched for being unstable.  Generally the bar is set pretty high for custodial fathers and it takes proof of severe abuse or neglect before a mother can get custody of her children switched, once custody (even temporary custody) is established.  

One interesting sidebar I read was that the boys' father was working on Fathers' Day so he sent a family member to pick his kids up and when the mother refused to release them, this was used against her as more proof of instability.  I wonder how a mother would have been viewed who could not rearrange her work schedule on Mothers' Day while she was trying to get custody switched to her as a primary parent?

I  have read many stories of how mothers lost custody of their children for working too much and using paid help to fill in for them.  Yet if a father get custody and dumps his kids off on his mother or his latest girlfriend or paid help, this is considered fine. Not a reason for a custody hearing due to a substantial change in circumstances in the custodial situation, just business as usual.

As I said I don't know if the mother of these children is unstable but I just find it strange that another mother has been painted with this broad brush and had her children taken from her and handed over to their father (who will be on the road traveling for much of their daily lives) because of her supposed instability.

Btw, if this mother sees any of that supposed 5 million settlement offer it would be a miracle and if she does manage to get any part of it, most will be used fighting in court to get to see her children over the years...she has a long road ahead of her.

Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade Custody Battle Rages On, Ex-Wife Unstable?

July 31, 2013 4:11 pm EDT by Will Connolly

According to the Miami Herald, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was forced to hand his children over to his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, as custom to her visitation schedule. When Wade refused to do so pending she take a psychological evaluation, the court had to step in and take matters into their own hands.

It was reported that Wade felt Funches’ extremely strange and overly aggressive behavior during their divorce proceedings was something to take note of, especially when she sat outside the Chicago courthouse with a sign stating she was homeless and telling her side of the story to any reporters who would listen.

Wade shares two children with Funches by the name’s of Zion, 9, and Zaire, 4. Wade filed for divorce in 2007 and after a tireless battle in the courts, was granted sole custody in 2011. But the battle wears on as Siohvaughn has recently been granted visitation rights and was to have her second visitation last week, but according to her attorney, Wade kept them from her.

To add to the difficulties, Wade and Funches are apparently working out a $5 million divorce settlement that is yet to be signed by either party.

Now I am not one to pry, but it seems as though Funches has been playing with Wade’s head for quite some time now. And yes, she deserves to see her children, but not if she is psychologically unstable. It’s come to my attention that the only one who suffers in this situation are the children, who are consistently subjected to overzealous media, who trying to get the best scoop and are hearing all these terrible things about each one of their parents. I wish the best for D-Wade and I hope that when all is settled and done, he and his two boys are happy and content.