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Sandra Bullock Drops Out of Custody Battle?
Sandra Bullock
Jesse James asked his former wife Janine Lindemulder to leave Sandra Bullock out of their current custody dispute. His attorney chimed in an said that Bullock in fact is not a “party to this litigation”, which of course, may be a bit tough to prove, especially if we see that Bullock already has participated in court filings and will have to be part of a new child custody consideration as the new spouse of James.
The Monster Garage star reacted to an interview with Lindemulder on Good Morning America, in which she stated that Bullock was trying to “take away” her 5-year old daughter Sunny. Lindemulder also asked Bullock to talk to her directly.
Of course, Bullock may have little motivation to talk to Lindemulder directly and attorneys usually advise their clients to refrain from direct conversation or negotiations in such cases, at least if there is very little chance for a solution to the case. And even then, parents are advised to engage in such conversations only with the support of an attorney. In many cases, there is simply no prospect for an agreement and additional discussion may deteriorate an already difficult situation.
As we reportedly previously, parenting plans and custody are subject to change when circumstances change – which is the case here as Lindemulder recently has been released from jail, where she served a 6-month sentence for tax evasion. A new custody evaluation will focus on the living environments on both sides and many factors that may or may not ensure a healthy, stable, consistent and favorable living environment for Sunny.
Both parties will have to show that they can deliver on the need of competent parenting and if we look at James’ court filings so far, that need certainly involves Bullock and makes her part of the case. According to CNN, Bullock wrote in a letter to the judge presiding over the case, Thomas Coffin, that “sometimes Sunny is left alone during the day, while her mother is asleep from drug use.” She added: “I myself have stopped working like I used to in order to be here with Jesse and the kids because we are on constant high alert. Never knowing the condition Janine will be in, and even more concerning, the condition Sunny will be in.”
Even if Bullock had not made those remarks, she is the spouse of James and would be part of the custody consideration. We cannot imagine a scenario in which Bullock can simply drop out of the case as she will need to support her husband if he wants to gain full custody of Sunny. On a personal level, Bullock is, of course, the main threat and target for Lindemulder. For the case, however, the focus will be on her former spouse. In the end, complaints and public appearances will be of little help to support her case in court.
Lindemulder currently has visitation rights on Sundays, as long as she keeps her daughter away from her new husband (felon Jeremy Aikman) and does not consume any drugs or alcohol. James alleges that Lindemulder has violated that order and Sunny has been in contact with Aikman. Since her release from jail, Lindemulder has been asking for more parenting time and rights, including parenting time on Saturdays. She also wants to know about Sunny’s out-of-state travel as well as changes in her daughter’s education.
Further Reading:
Sandra Bullock Invited To Discuss Child Custody
Sandra Bullock in Custody Battle
