Sunday, July 1, 2012

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes line up attorneys - Newsday

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise arrive at the

Photo credit: AP | Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in West Hollywood, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2012)

Following the surprise announcement of Katie Holmes' divorce filing, Tom Cruise has retained the attorney he used in his 2001 divorce of second wife Nicole Kidman.

Dennis Wasser will again represent the "Mission: Impossible" movie-series star, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday, adding that Cruise, who turns 50 Tuesday, is also seeking an attorney in New York. Holmes, 33, filed in Manhattan on Thursday, asking for sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of the couple's daughter, Suri, 6.

"I would hope that it's not a contentious matter," Cruise's longtime litigator, Bert Fields, told the LA Times. "I know Tom is not a particularly contentious person." When asked whether there was a prenuptial agreement, Fields told the paper, "I can't comment on that. It will all come out."

Former "Dawson's Creek" star Holmes has retained two attorneys specializing in wealthy couples' divorces: Jonathan Wolfe, a partner at Livingston, N.J.'s Skoloff & Wolfe; and Allan E. Mayefsky of Manhattan's Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan, who represented Christie Brinkley and Joan Lunden in their respective divorces. "We are representing Katie, but that is all I can tell you," Mayefsky told the LA Times.

California divorce attorney Michael Kelly, who is not involved with the case, told The Associated Press that Holmes' New York filing appears to be "a tactical move." While California, where the couple has a Los Angeles home, has no-fault divorce, New York has comparative-fault laws, signaling that "there will be an attempt to gain an advantage," Kelly said.

Holmes and Suri were seen moving from the family's Manhattan apartment Thursday to a new place in the city, near a gymnastics studio where Suri takes classes, People magazine said. Holmes rented the property just before her divorce filing, Us Weekly added.

According to RadarOnline.com, Cruise will ask the New York court to halt the proceedings, arguing California is the proper venue, and that there the actor will request joint custody of Suri.

User rating:

4

(2) Click to rate

No comments:

Post a Comment