Katie Holmes’ Divorce Settlement — Speedy Victory Over Tom Cruise

Hooray for Katie Holmes and her aggressive legal strategy – it worked against Tom Cruise. The divorce is settled, and it definitely appears that she won custody of Suri Cruise!

Congratulations Katie Holmes! She achieved her key objective, winning sole custody of Suri Cruise, according to Radaronline. She blindsided Tom Cruise by filing for divorce in NYC on June 28, 2012 and demanding sole custody of Suri. Now, a settlement has been reached in record time and no doubt, it was Katie’s aggressive legal strategy: filing first in New York, a state more likely to grant sole custody than California, and then filing for a public hearing (in an emergent application) on July 17 in NYC, that forced Tom to the table for ultra-quick settlement talks. Katie was photographed heading into her lawyer’s offices both Friday and saturday as the legal teams negotiated furiously.

It was a strategy masterminded with the help of Katie’s supportive lawyer dad, Martin Holmes, and it put Tom immediately on the defensive. He clearly didn’t want any Scientology dirty laundry revealed in court. There was already enough bad publicity everywhere in the media about Scientology’s strange and oppressive training for children and more.

“Katie got what she wanted. She wanted to live in New York with her daughter Suri, and it looks like Tom is going to defer decision making to Katie on Suri’s day to day life according to the couple’s joint statement issued this morning, July 9th. It sounds like Katie got sole custody and Tom has liberal visitation. If it was joint the statement would have said ‘sharing’ custody,” explains celebrity divorce attorney Vikki Ziegler, exclusively to Hollywoodlife.com.

Here’s the very revealing statement which the former couple, released. “We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri’s best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents,” said the statement released to Hollywoodlife.com from Holmes and Cruise’s reps, Nanci Ryder and Amanda Lundberg respectively.

“This is a very interesting statement… not a normal statement. People don’t say things about their belief statements,” says Ziegler. “Tom’s camp wants to make sure that Katie is still respecting Scientology even if they aren’t raising Suri under that premise.”

So, it appears that Katie didn’t just get custody at Suri, but that she will NOT have to raise her as a Scientologist, unlike Tom’s two older children, Isabella, 19, and Connor, 17. That’s a HUGE win!

“Katie put the pressure on Tom to come to the table quickly so she didn’t have to disclose things about Scientology and their marriage,” believes divorce attorney Ziegler.

“My gut is saying Katie wanted Suri and likely got sole custody or most of the decision making. Tom might have sweetened the deal to make sure that the divorce remained private and not for public,” says Ziegler.

Of course, no one will likely ever know the terms of Katie and Tom’s settlement except for their immediate family, lawyers and oh yes, maybe the top brass in the Scientology organzation. But we bet Katie is going to be sleeping well tonight for the first time in years.

You’ve no doubt been through hell Katie, and have been living under more pressure than any of us can imagine. We bet that you’ve been worried sick that you’d lose Suri.

Well now Katie – standing up for your daughter with a brilliant legal strategy has resulted in a major coup – Mission Impossible ACCOMPLISHED!

Radaronline➚

Bonnie Fuller

More Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise Divorce Settlement

View Comment

Children Suris age are perfectly able to walk.

Share this comment at

Katie Holmes may not be the equal to that of her husband in acting abilities but she has certainly left a mark on Hollywood and the whole country for that matter just as big as his star with the well planned, perfectly executed divorce settlement that she, her family and legal team obtained.

In a matter of days and weeks, Holmes brought to a conclusion what could have been a very nasty, very public and protracted divorce. A feat that is rarely accomplished by even the most wealthy, educated and well known of celebrities who have access to any number of attorneys and resources in this country.

In fact in the years to come Holmes may be better known/remembered for her handling of her divorce than for any of her roles or acting abilities.

Holmes also demonstrated that divorce does not have to be this gut retching, horrific, devastating, crash and burn process that takes years to extract yourself from financially, emotionally and physically, which is how most people describe their divorce. Celebrity and non celebrity alike.

Instead Holmes proved the importance of strategy and planning. Know what to expect, be well informed and have good advisers so that you make the right decisions at the right time and not lose focus on the end goal.

A retired law enforcement officer and now a Divorce Coach, I applaud Katie and her team, for planning and making good decisions that did not allow this to be drawn out.

Katie, you did what’s best for you daughter and I am proud of you. Now move on, put that rubbish religion out of your thoughts and start reading the Bible. I am praying for you.