Anticipated Cruise Holmes Child Custody Battle Avoided

While fortune and fame has its perks, it has downsides, too. We suspect that a lot of our readers here in Georgia would find the lack of privacy and the scrutiny of the public wearing. When dealing with emotional turmoil, privacy is necessary. Unfortunately, those in the limelight are rarely allowed this chance.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes know this feeling, as news of their divorce and possible child custodybattle has been splashed across every paper in Georgia and across the country. Seemingly unaware of the problems in his marriage, Cruise was reportedly taken by surprise by both the divorce filing and the request for sole custody made by his soon-to-be-ex.

Married for five years, the couple seemed happy enough. There have been reports that Cruise's absolute dedication to the Church of Scientology pushed Holmes over the edge. She apparently does not feel the same affinity for the religion as Cruise. And it is rumored that Cruise's depth of allegiance played a large part in Holmes's decision to seek sole custody of their daughter, rather than joint custody.

We may never know for sure, however. Earlier this week, attorneys for both Holmes and Cruise confirmed that the couple has already settled their divorce. They don't offer any details over how the custody issue has been handled. They say only that all issues have been resolved.

At the same time, a statement issued by a Cruise representative says the couple is committed to respecting each other and supporting each other in their roles as parents as they work to determine the best interests of their daughter, Suri. That at least suggests that some level of joint custody has been reached.

Seeking sole custody of a child during divorce can be a tough battle; often couples agree on joint custody, instead. In a custody battle, the court's driving concern is the best interests of the child and joint custody tends to be the preferred model. That condition also appears to have been the dominant feature in the swift Cruise-Holmes divorce agreement.