Parents in New Mexico who are involved in child custody issues may be interested in a recent story involving Bode Miller, Olympic skier, who was ordered by a Manhattan court to hand over his 9-month-old son to the baby’s mother. A California judge had formerly given Miller temporary custody of his child. That ruling was changed, however, when a court referee in New York granted custody to the infant’s mother.

One of the main issues has been whether California or New York has jurisdiction to decide the custody matter. The world class skier’s former girlfriend had moved across the country from California to New York while pregnant with the baby, making the child’s birthplace New York. Miller is now married to a former volleyball champion and resides in California.

After the court referee had formerly ruled that California has jurisdiction and that the baby should be with his father, an appeals court in New York has now decided differently and reversed that decision. In the last two months, the baby has only spent about 48 hours with his mother, who is a former Marine and now attends Columbia University using the benefit of the G.I. bill.

Court decisions concerning the custody of children and visitation times are supposed to be made in the best interest of the children. In the case of a custody dispute or a problem with visitation rights, a parent may find it beneficial to speak with a qualified family law attorney. If an unsatisfactory order is in place, a legal representative may be able to request a modification that will be more equitable.

Source: New York Daily News, “Olympic skier Bode Miller to appear in Manhattan court over custody battle with former lover“, Barbara Ross and Dareh Gregorian, November 25, 2013