Olympian Loses Custody Of Child

Some New Jersey parents may be able to relate to the back-and-forth battle between Olympic skier Bode Miller and his former lover over their infant child. A Manhattan Family Court ruled in the mother’s favor on Nov. 25 in the child custody case.

The Manhattan Family Court judge sent the mother and father to a referee who awarded the child’s mother temporary custody. The referee will ultimately decide which parent will have permanent custody of the child, but she granted the mother custody until the next hearing scheduled in the case on Dec. 9. The Olympic star was previously awarded temporary custody of the boy earlier in 2013. That prior decision was made after the judge ruled that a California court should hear the case. However, the newest decision was made after a New York appeals court reversed this decision, ruling that the case was rightfully in front of a New York court because the child was born there on Feb. 23.

The child’s mother previously resided in California, but she relocated to New York when she was pregnant. She is a former marine and is using her G.I. Bill to attend Columbia University. The mother claimed that she had only been able to spend 48 hours with her child since the beginning of October while the Olympian and his wife traveled around the world with the infant. The mother had previously been reprimanded for making the move while she was pregnant, but the appeals court did not agree with the referee’s statement that the move was “reprehensible.” Instead, the mother said that she had the opportunity to receive a free Ivy League education and had to take it. Miller says that he hopes that he will be able to take his son to the February Olympics with him.

If parents do not agree on who should have custody of a child, they may consult family law attorneys. These individuals may be able to help a family work out what is in the best interest of the child.

Source: New York Daily News, “Olympic skier Bode Miller loses custody of his child following a custody battle with former lover — for now“, Barbara Ross and Dareh Gregorian, November 25, 2013