Kelsey Grammer reaches child custody arrangement with ex-wife

Child custody battles are never pleasant, whether you’re a celebrity or a regular person working through a divorce. TV star Kelsey Grammer and his reality-TV star wife prove this.

The couple, who divorced in 2011 after 13 years of marriage, struggled to reach a child custody agreement for their 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.

In late July, the couple reached at least a temporary agreement. Grammer’s wife, it turns out, will have custody of the two children more often than will Grammer. The agreement, according to a recent story in the Winnipeg Free Press, also takes into account the travel schedule of the 56-year-old Grammer.

This represents only a first step, though. The former spouses still need to reach an agreement on child support and permanent custody.

Earlier, during the couple’s divorce proceedings, Grammer had suggested splitting up the former couple’s children, with Grammer taking custody of his son while his former wife had custody of the couple’s daughter. Grammer’s ex-wife, though, rejected this arrangement, arguing that such a move would prove a disruptive force in her son’s education.

The Grammers still have much to work out regarding child custody. However, the couple has at least taken the first steps to reaching a compromise agreement. This is an important lesson for all couples working through divorce proceedings today. Reaching agreement over child custody is never an easy process. Couples must consider a host of factors, and must weigh competing interests.

Nevertheless, the goal of any child custody dispute should be to find the best living situation for the children of divorce. Couples who can do this will go a long way toward lessening the impact of their separation on their children.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press, “Kelsey Grammer agrees temporary child custody deal,” 21 July 2011