As Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva fight their child custody battle, ugly personal conversations and events have been made public. Early in the case, Grigorieva pursued domestic violence charges against Gibson. However, Grigorieva has recently decided to drop these accusations. The couple's problems have not been much of a secret. As with many cases in the public eye, private conversations and interactions have been made public through the media.Grigorieva says she dropped the accusations to show that she is able to be a good co-parent to the child, as the couple is currently working on a co-parenting plan. To show good faith, she is also looking to have the restraining order against Gibson lifted, so the two can once again have contact.
Gibson never admitted to the domestic violence charges, but did enter a "no contest" plea to one battery charge from last year. He will be undergoing 52 weeks of anger management counseling, and the plea allowed him to avoid admitting guilt.
Even though many things have been leaked, most of the details of the case and the sheriff's investigational findings into the couple's relationship have been tightly sealed. Attorneys on both sides state that they do not wish to make this personal information public because of the affect doing so might have on the couple's young daughter as they continue the custody battle. Because of this tight secrecy, many rumors about the couple have surfaced, and no one is sure whether Grigorieva plans to pursue a civil suit against Gibson once the custody arrangement has been determined.
The child custody dispute between Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva demonstrates how difficult child custody issues can be to resolve. Thankfully, not every child custody case is as high profile or as public as their case is. Nevertheless, every child custody dispute is important. Every child custody case presents its own unique issues and requires its own unique solutions. If you have questions about a child custody issue, an experienced family law attorney can help.
Source: CNN, "Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend drops domestic violence accusations," Alan Duke, 5/5/2011