NBA Star Dwayne Wade Deals with Visitation Issues During Championship Finals

By Sheryl Rentz on June 20, 2012

Following the arrest of his ex-wife, professional basketball player Dwayne Wade has asked a judge to suspend her child visitation rights with their two children, according to SportsIllustrated.com. The weekend incident that led to her arrest delayed the return of Wade’s sons to his custody and led to her arrest. The filing indicates that the two boys were supposed to be picked up by Wade’s sister on the afternoon of June 16 so they could be on a 3:05 p.m. flight from Chicago to Miami to be with Wade on Father’s Day, but after receiving no response at the home, the sheriff’s office was called to the scene after several hours. The report also states the mother tried leaving the home without the children when one of the responding deputies tried taking her into custody.

A spokesperson for the Cook County Sherriff’s Office reports that the NBA star’s ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, has been charged with two counts of attempted child abduction, one count of resisting arrest, and two counts of unlawful visitation interference. Another woman home at the time of the incident was also arrested for resisting arrest.

Funches-Wade posted a $10,000 bond and is due back on court in August. Wade’s attorney filed an emergency motion asking for the suspension of the mother’s visitation rights and Wade appeared in court on June 19, hours before the Miami Heat player was to play in Game Four of the NBA Finals. An official hearing was set for June 26, which would be the date of Game Seven if the Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder extend the series to its limits. The NBA star told the Associated Press that his sons have been home with him in Miami since 6 a.m. on June 17, and what mattered most to him is “getting them here to be with me on Father’s Day.”

The couple was divorced in 2010, and Wade was awarded custody of the boys in March 2011. Wade recently finished writing a book about fatherhood and the custody fight for his two boys, which will be released September 4.

During the divorce process, there are a number of important matters for the couple to settle and come to an agreement on; custody of a couple’s children and establishing visitation rights are certainly some of the more contentious and sensitive issues that may arise. Pennsylvania visitation issues attorney Sheryl R. Rentz understands how delicate the issue of child custody and visitation is and how important it is to arrive at a resolution that is best for the entire family. For compassionate, skilled assistance in your child custody case, call (610) 645-0100.