TMZ reports that, after their two year separation, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are finally and officially divorced. Of course, as with all divorces, other legal issues were included with their divorce, most importantly the custody arrangement for the couple’s six-year-old twins.
Under the custody order, JLo has physical custody of the children, and Anthony has parenting time with them seven days a month. According to People, the order also explicitly delineates how JLo and Anthony will celebrate holidays and spend school vacations with the children. However, in this case, the court added some additional clauses to ensure the best interests of the children.
One of these clauses is that when Anthony has the children for his seven days during the month, he must be accompanied by a nanny. Another unique clause is that, on Halloween, both JLo and Anthony get to take the twins trick-or-treating, separately of course. This means that the twins get to celebrate this occasion with both mom and dad while getting extra candy.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the order is the anti-paparazzi clause. This clause obligates both parents to use their best efforts to protect the children from the paparazzi. According to TMZ, the order states that this clause was included because it is in the twins’ best interests to be shielded from “aggressive news organizations and photographers.”
Even though this divorce was obtained in California, JLo and Anthony’s divorce and custody orders show how unique each divorce can be when it comes not only to legal issues, but to the terms of the divorce. All families are different, so they have different needs and abilities to work together. For instance, not all families live close enough that the children would have the ability to trick-or-treat with both parents on Halloween, however if they do, this is a great way for children to spend time with both parents for the occasion. Additionally, the sharing of the holiday can apply to other holidays as well, not just to Halloween.
This divorce also shows how special terms, which are important only in certain situations, may be included for the benefit of the children, in this instance the anti-paparazzi clause.
If you are going through a New Jersey divorce and have questions or concerns about how to handle your family’s unique needs or legal issues, you should speak with a New Jersey divorce lawyer, who will be able to assist you with determining the clauses necessary for your family in your custody and divorce orders.
If you would like to speak with one of our experienced New Jersey divorce lawyers about your New Jersey divorce or custody dispute, please contact Sarno da Costa D’Aniello Maceri LLC at 973-274-5200.
