Even though we all know Brit is unstable, I still found it shocking that K-Fed NEVER wants her to have half custody of the kids. From what was revealed to E! via Mark Kaplan, K-Fed’s attorney, K-Fed wants Brit involved with the boys and to have sleep overs but he wants his current sole custody standing to go permanent.
Permanent! That would be so hard to take as a mother, that I can NEVER be a totally involved mom in my kid’s lives and that I always have to be watched. Ouch.
I thought K-Fed would only seek sole custody until Brit was reigned in by her handlers and shown to be improved. I don’t know, I just find that kind of sad for Britters. This may well be the battle of the century.
I understand his position though because remember when Brit had custody how unstable the environment for the kids was? It was bringing them to shop with paparazzi crush all over them, and it seemed there was no structure for the kiddies when they were with her. It was like a free for all.
I just think that’s how she rolls. No rules because she doesn’t have to have them. She can stay in her p.j’s for 5 days straight and lounge around and so can the kiddies. Growing up like that probably would ruin these boys. They’d have no idea of structure and responsibility.
But still… Poor Britney!
Kevin Federline wants Britney Spears to once again play a major role in their children’s lives. Just not a bigger role than his.
K-Fed’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, spoke exclusively to E! News in the wake of Thursday’s all-day mediation session, in which both sides were seeking to hash out a custody agreement in advance of an August trial.
“Kevin is seeking to maintain the sole legal and physical custody that he presently has,” Kaplan said. “There’s nothing magical about 50-50. There’s nothing magical about 60-40. What’s magical is that whatever order is in place, it’s the order that best suits the best interest of the children.”
Which, ideally, would give the 30-year-old Federline full custody, simply making permanent the present temporary order.
“Kevin has had sole legal custody since January. He wants that to become the permanent order at trial, and the visitation to be consistent with what the court expanded it to this week.”
Namely, allowing Spears, 26, overnight visitation with sons Sean Preston and Jayden James, which will begin Saturday night. In addition to the sleepover, she is also allowed two day visits per week.
For his part, Kaplan said Federline is more than happy to give the stabilized Spears not only more custody rights but the ability to be “involved in their lives in a very substantial and meaningful way,” and credits the conservatorship with her recent turnaround.
“He wants to have an order…that takes into account a certain stability and structure for the kids…regardless of whose house they happen to be in at any given moment.
“When the conservatorship was imposed, it brought a certain sense of structure and stability to an environment that seemed to be continually in flux. And in flux is not a description of what you want for a child’s environment.”
But while Thursday’s mediation didn’t result in any brokered accords—it would have been surprising if it had—it did get both parties started on the right path to like-mindedness.
“The mediation didn’t result in an agreement that would avoid the trial set in August…The mood was comfortable, positive and it was a mood that was consistent with opening at least a great dialogue, which is necessary.”
As for what would call off this summer’s planned court date…
“The trial in August is going to determine two primary issues,” Kaplan said. “Custody and visitation, and attorneys’ fees…In order to avoid the trial in all respects, there would have to be an agreement between the parties to resolve the attorneys’ fees, and to put in place a custody arrangement that would carry forward…an expansion of the visitation.
“If the existing arrangement was acceptable to both parties, we would have an agreement and we wouldn’t have to go to trial…But that didn’t happen.”
I can’t blame him, given her history. But the thing is, sole custody doesn’t mean she can’t be involved in their lives. It means she’s not going to have to be responsible for things like deciding where they go to school, whether they need medical treatment, stuff like that. He would be the only legal decision maker when it comes to the kids. I expect he would still talk to her and take into account things she wants for the boys (like their schooling, though Britney’s not to edjumacated herself, y’all).
Also remember that NO judgment in a custody case is ever truly “permanent”. Either party can always go back to court to ask for changes. If Britney were to really, genuinely, and seriously improve in all ways and become a model parent, she could go back to court and petition for that to happen. Of course, she’d have to show the court that she really was a fit parent and so forth, which could be difficult for her. (Sorry, but it’s true.)
I’m sure she’s fit for supervised visitation with the kids these days. I’m not convinced she’ll ever be fit to make serious legal decisions on their behalf. She can’t even make them on her own behalf.
I know what you mean. it really is SO sad that she will probably never be well enought to have joint.
Man, when did this happen. What other starlet have you ever seen that had to be coddled and babysat 24/7?
Even Anna Nicole was able to do more. Although she was so messed up on pills that it differs from mental illness.
It really is a reality that she is this sick. Poor Britney