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Kim Kardashian ‘could get full custody’ of her and ex Kanye West’s four children amid their ongoing divorce.
Legal experts have spoken The sun after the music artist, 45, failed to show up for his statement on Nov. 16.
“Avoidance of a statement in a lawsuit is taken seriously by the judge, especially when it comes to a repeat offense,” said Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Zalduendo LLP.
Possibility: Kim Kardashian ‘could get full custody’ of her and ex Kanye West’s four children during their ongoing divorce
West, who is now legally passing Ye, will have another chance to appear in court on November 29 for a two-day trial on December 14.
But if the disgraced designer doesn’t reappear, Kim, 42, could be one step closer to taking full custody of North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three.
Family law attorney Lexie Rigden also applied her professional experience as she told the outlet, “If Kanye refuses to show up for his deposition, the judge could penalize him financially, make him pay attorney’s fees, and if it’s a flagrant violation of the discovery, the judge may be able to prevent him from bringing a case during the trial.’
She warned, “For two very wealthy people who don’t need each other’s money, the custody issues will be most important.”
Legal troubles: The 45-year-old music artist did not show up for his statement on November 16
Rigden noted, “In most divorce cases, the parties are able to resolve at least some issues. But given his behavior and apparent unreasonableness, everything from custody to division of assets could be at stake.’
Acknowledging the former couple’s extreme wealth, she said, “For two very wealthy people who don’t need each other’s money, the custody issues will be most important.”
The lawyer referred to the Yeezy creator’s tirades when she said: “His disparaging reports of Kim and her family in the media, and his nonsensical proposals, including the kids going to two different schools at the same time, will likely be used to to show that he cannot reasonably be a co-parent and does not have the best interests of the children in mind.’
Fiset clarified, “After Kanye skipped this statement, they gave him another date to show up.
If he doesn’t, he could face sanctions at their upcoming trial, such as a fine or monetary award to Ms. Kardashian, and/or he could turn the facts they tried to uncover during deposition into confessions against him.
“If he tries to avoid information that would hurt his case by skipping a statement, a judge can automatically rule that the bad information is factual in the trial because he didn’t cooperate.”
What’s at stake: If Kanye doesn’t appear in court again, Kim could be one step closer to taking full custody of North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three
The lawyer continued, “In serious cases, it could be contempt, which could be civil or criminal, as determined by the judge.
“In general, this can hurt his case. In the worst case, the judge may convict him and he may receive a reduced custody fee and a less favorable financial arrangement.
“But more likely the judge will simply find that the facts Kim Kardashian claims are true and not give him a chance to defend himself.”
The former couple are figuring out how to divide their more than $2 billion in combined wealth after seven years of marriage.
Happier times: Kim and Kanye got married in 2014 and the reality TV star filed for divorce in 2021
Last month, The Blast reported that West’s lawyer had filed a “statement of disclosure,” a sign that the case is nearing its end.
According to the documents, Kanye turned over all of his financial information to his estranged wife’s legal team and also reached an agreement with her on the division of their finances and property.
Kardashian is represented by celebrity divorcee Laura Wasser, while Ye has his sixth attorney, Nicholas Salick.
“We’ve been ready for it for a while,” Wasser previously told Judge Steve Cochran.
Bread: Kim adored her four kids in an Instagram post shared earlier this year