Deion Sanders Gets Custody of Sons, Joint Custody of Daughter

Deion Sanders' child custody battle with his estranged wife Pilar is finally over. And it took jurors less than two hours to make their decision. The Hall of Fame cornerback will get full custody of his two sons, while he and Pilar will share custody over their only daughter, reports Dallas' WFAA-TV. Clearly not happy with the decision, Pilar pointed out that many pieces of evidence supporting her claim to the kids were not admitted into evidence. As a result, she called the decision prejudiced and said, "If that's not one-sided... you have to be blind, dumb, crazy, and stupid." At trial, Deion Sanders said that the only goals he had for his kids were to have a normal life, go to college, get a degree, and to be somebody, reports WFAA. Pilar argued that she was the sole parent for the kids when Deion traveled for work. Her lawyer said she "taught her children good character" and to respect themselves and others. Pilar claimed that Deion loved himself more than the children. Generally, in a child custody battle, a court will make its decision based on the best interests of the children. In making this determination, a court may consider factors like:

• The child's wishes;
• The parents' mental and physical health;
• Religion and/or cultural considerations;
• The need for a stable home environment;
• Support and opportunity for interaction with extended family members;
• Interaction and interrelationship with other members of household;
• Adjustment to school and community;
• The age and sex of the child;
• Parental use of excessive discipline or emotional abuse; and
• Evidence of parental drug, alcohol or sex abuse.

By reviewing all the evidence in the case, the jury found that it was in Sanders' sons' best interests to remain with their father; his daughter will be under shared custody orders. A judge will now determine a custody schedule, WFAA reports. For Deion Sanders, child custody was only one battle in his divorce with Pilar. The couple still has other contentious issues to work out, including questions about the validity of their prenuptial agreement. Related Resources:

• Deion Sanders gets custody of his 2 sons (The Associated Press)
• Deion Sanders Tweets Estranged Wife's Assault Arrest (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
• Custody Considerations: Step-By-Step (FindLaw)
• Browse Child Custody Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)