Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey is attempting to win custody of his daughter and get his estranged wife to pay him child support. Are men ever successful in winning these kinds of custody fights, or do the courts automatically side with the mother? Will McGreevey's homosexuality affect the case in the eyes of the law or a judge? Is there any precedent?
Click here to read about McGreevey's child custody fight.
Click here to read about McGreevey's trips across the country to talk about homosexuality.
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McGreevey seeks custody of kid, child support
03/14/2007
ELIZABETH (AP) -- Former Gov. Jim McGreevey is seeking custody of his 5-year-old daughter and child support from his estranged wife.
The revised divorce lawsuit by the nation’s first openly gay governor does not mention the "matrimonial settlement agreement" that McGreevey originally said had resolved all custody and support issues concerning the his daughter, Jacqueline.
McGreevey’s wife, Dina Matos, has 35 days to respond to the revised filing.
The papers were filed last month in Union County Superior Court and were first reported in yesterday’s editions of The Star-Ledger of Newark.
The filing asks the judge to assign McGreevey custody, to award visitation to the noncustodial parent and to award him "suitable support and maintenance."
"Dina and I both seek the best interests of Jacqueline," McGreevey said yesterday. "We’re asking the court to determine what’s the most appropriate balance in the child’s interest."
He would not answer further questions about the exact custody arrangement he would like the judge to grant. Any payments to either party would be determined by a family court judge.
Matos and her lawyer, John Post, could not be reached yesterday.
"Obviously, the settlement discussions aren’t going too well," McGreevey confidant Sen. Raymond Lesniak said yesterday.
Lesniak said he would not reveal the content of any private conversations with the former governor.
Matos countered McGreevey’s original filing claims, saying last month that the two "continue to have profound differences about what our daughter should be exposed to, and until they are resolved, there will be no agreement."
McGreevey and his wife have lived apart since November 2004. That’s when McGreevey resigned for having had an affair with a male staffer.
The relationship between the couple has been subject to much speculation since McGreevey’s nationally televised resignation speech, in which his wife stood at his side, a dazed look on her face. People openly wondered whether Matos McGreevey knew her husband was gay and whether she willingly helped hide his homosexuality to advance his political career.
Matos McGreevey, who is executive director of the Columbus Hospital Foundation in Newark, has repeatedly declined requests for interviews since McGreevey resigned. She has written a book, "Silent Partner," scheduled for publication May 1.
McGreevey, who has been married twice, now lives with partner Mark O’Donnell in Plainfield. He has a 14-year-old daughter, Morag, from his first marriage.
Matos and Jacqueline live in Springfield.
©The Trentonian 2007
McG's attorneys are using the age old threat of dads to remove kids from moms. Unfortunately, often women fall for this play. He can pay his attorney all he wants, but he certainly will not get custody of this child. And spousal support, or child support, or whatever they are looking for I think you can find at the end of a rainbow.
I voted for this guy, but this is tripe created by attorneys. What I can't understand is why he oked this.
That cartoon says it better than anyone I've heard talk about this.
Exactly right! Divorce is hard enough on kids. Allowing parents' petty squabbles playing out in front of the public eye is an awful thing to do to a kid.
I've had enough, McG, I thank you for being brave and coming out, that took a lot of guts, everyone should give you credit for doing that, because so many cowards don't. I'm not saying that I approve of your lifestyle, but it's not mine to approve or disapprove. I'm not God, I cant judge. I can commend this man futher, whether you say he's not a real man, I'd say he is whether he's gay or not, the fact is as bad as I feel for Mrs. Matos, I'm glad McG at least is acting like a father should. Here's my problem, this is a domestic issue. I feel bad for the daughter, why do we keep bringing her father and mother into the public eye? This girl is going to be damaged, Mr. McG, stop talking about your lifestlye, because you're going to put your daughter through hell. Kids are cruel, and having that little girl be known as the gay gov's daughter can be hurtful. I'm happy and commend you for coming out, and wanting to be a bigger part of her life, but no one is looking at what this is going to do to her, or what she's feeling.
No one in the media has the audacity to suggest McGreevey shouldn't have custody because he's gay. As governor, he had the power to do something about the prejudice against men in custody courts. I think he's about to learn the hard way that a divorced dad's chances of gaining custody is nil.
No one in the media has the audacity to suggest McGreevey shouldn't have custody because he's gay. As governor, he had the power to do something about the prejudice against men in custody courts. I think he's about to learn the hard way that a divorced dad's chances of gaining custody is nil.
People should read this.
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