Celebrity Family Law Attorneys in Miami Safeguard Your Rights

Experienced and discreet counselors resolve contentious issues of paternity and child custody

Celebrities make their living in the public eye, but public interest goes far beyond what happens between the lines at a sporting event, on the stage of a concert, or on the movie screen. The public seems to have an insatiable interest in the dating relationships and marriages of their favorite celebrities. In the best of times, this interest is benign and can even prove beneficial, but if you’re a celebrity going through a divorce, a paternity action, or a child custody dispute, the public prying can become toxic. At Miami family law firm Rafool, PLLC, our attorneys understand your need for privacy during this difficult time. We regularly represent actors, musicians, athletes and other celebrities on these matters. Not only are we adept at protecting your rights even when cases turn bitterly contentious, but we also have the experience and the media savvy to handle interactions with the press to minimize intrusions into your privacy and protect your public image.

Capable management of celebrity paternity actions

A paternity action is a legal process to establish a parent-child relationship when circumstances cast doubt over its existence. Paternity cases often arise when a woman claims that an extramarital or nonmarital affair with a particular man resulted in the conception and birth of a child. A court, upon reasonable evidence, can compel the alleged father to submit to a DNA test to determine the outcome of the case.

Celebrity paternity actions often make headlines. Cases in recent years have implicated:

  • Eddie Murphy — Melanie Brown (better known as Mel B, formerly of the Spice Girls), claimed comedian Eddie Murphy was the father of her child; a DNA paternity test conclusively proved he was.
  • Keanu Reeves — In 2009, Karen Sala claimed actor Keanu Reeves was the father of not one but four of her kids. She demanded $150,000 a month for child support and $3 million a month for spousal support. A DNA test disproved her claims, and a court dismissed the suit.
  • Jay Z — Since 2010, Rymir Satterthwaite and his family have alleged he is singer Jay-Z’s son. They have sued to compel a DNA test. Jay-Z has not complied with requests to the date of this writing, and the case is due to go on trial in Philadelphia in December 2018.
  • Marc Anthony — In 2003, a Miami waitress filed suit claiming singer Marc Anthony was her child’s father, but multiple DNA tests proved conclusively another man is the father.

When a DNA test proves paternity, the court makes the finding official with an order. The father is then responsible for child support and may also be eligible for child custody or visitation.

Because a paternity suit is potentially disruptive to a man’s career, his relationships and possibly his marriage, sensitivity and discretion are necessary at the outset, no matter which side of the issue our client is on. The cases cited above and many others show that accusations are not proof. On the other hand, a man’s public image is never improved when he attempts to evade his financial responsibility for a child he has fathered.

Our law firm represents mothers, putative fathers and children in paternity actions throughout the state of Florida. We work determinedly to assert our clients’ rights while implementing a strategy designed to manage negative coverage in the press and social media.

Reliable representation for celebrities in child custody disputes

When a sports or entertainment celebrity divorces, the ancillary issues can be complicated but none more so than child custody. Celebrities’ lives often require odd hours, travel, and extensive time away from home, making the logistics of parenting difficult.  At Rafool, PLLC, we understand that your child custody case requires experienced management. We have created flexible and manageable parenting plans for our clients, protecting their right to:

  • Shared parental responsibility — Each parent maintains the authority to make decisions affecting the child’s welfare. Under this arrangement, parents are expected to make major decisions jointly.
  • Sole parental responsibility — If one parent lacks the capacity to make decisions impacting their child, the court grants the other parent sole authority.
  • Majority time-sharing — Time-sharing covers residential issues and parenting time, also called visitation. In a majority time-sharing arrangement, the children live principally with one parent but may spend overnights with the other. In most of these cases, the parent who serves as residential parent for the majority of the time receives child support payments from the other parent.
  • Equal time-sharing — In what used to be called a joint physical custody arrangement, parents share the responsibility for housing their children.

Our attorneys are skilled at reaching creative solutions based on your unique circumstances.

We also understand that child custody battles involving celebrity couples often translate into sensational and salacious headlines, which can traumatize children and damage the celebrity’s public image. Celebrities whose child custody cases have wound up in the press include Robin Thicke and Paula Patton, Madonna and Guy Ritchie, and Jon and Kate Gosselin. Unmarried parents are not immune to such public scrutiny — when the details of a custody battle between Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva reached the press, it touched off a scandal that further damaged Gibson’s public image. When you retain our services for your family law dispute, you can trust our discretion and our guidance throughout the difficult process.

Contact our Miami family law firm for an initial family law consultation

If your family law dispute is likely to attract media attention, causing additional anguish as you try to resolve your paternity or child custody issues, Rafool, PLLC, can help. For immediate assistance, call us at (305) 567-9400 or contact our Miami office online to schedule an initial consultation.