Today, many married couples do not share the same religious upbringing or views. This might not be a problem until they are facing divorce and have children, but as the numbers of interfaith marriages are increasing and divorces are still anything but uncommon, this is something to think about.
The divorce of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has been all over the media in these past months. It is common knowledge that Tom Cruise is a scientologist, so this is a good of the topic in question.
Globalgrind did a story on this divorce, saying Suri and Katie are not going to stay with scientology. The story said that Katie has enrolled Suri in a private Catholic school, regardless of Tom wanting her to go to a scientology school. Even with their different views on the matter, Tom and Katie reached a settlement in record time, because they put – as they said – Suri’s happiness and education above their own preferences.
This is not a decision all parents are capable of making, and sometimes these disagreements will be up to the court to decide. If these matters get taken to court, the court has to consider the situation from multiple points of view. The First Amendment gives the parent the right to exercise any religion and decide what religion they want their child to be part of, but when courts are looking at custody and visitation arrangements, they must concentrate on protecting the best interest of the child. One parent’s complaints over the religious activities of the other, and whether they are suitable for the child, are not an easy issue for courts to settle. Occasionally, the children can have their own say in the matter. Usually, this applies for children over 12 when religion and custody are concerned.
Religion is only one of the possible issues in divorce. Many issues can be difficult even for courts to decide on, so it is no wonder if you are struggling with these issues. You should not face these troubles alone! When you are dealing with divorce, get experienced legal help. Contact an experienced family law attorney in Illinois today!
