Divorce can be a very complicated legal process. Many dissolutions in Texas may be handled simply as uncontested splits. In cases where stakes involve significant assets and disputes over the provision of child support arise, matters can become a lot more complicated. And then there may be situations in which the divorce action can even lead to possible criminal inquiry. That being said, regardless of the particulars of a given divorce case it becomes clear that experienced legal counsel should always be sought.
The last scenario described above is one that seems to have developed in the divorce of comedian and actor Chris Rock from his estranged wife Malaak Compton-Rock. According to news reports, the couple is being investigated on suspicion of possible child trafficking.
At the center of things is a 7-year-old girl from South Africa. She reportedly entered into the Rock clan when she was just 9 months old and has been treated as one of the family ever since. The Rocks have two older biological daughters, as well.
It’s not clear what might have sparked the police probe, but there are suggestions from some quarters that it had something to do with a discrepancy in how Rock and his wife described the status of the little girl in divorce papers filed since they broke up last year.
Compton-Rock claims the child is a legal dependent and is seeking child support for her. But there is no legal adoption on record and Rock’s papers only list his two biological daughters as dependents.
There has been no comment from Rock on the subject, but his estranged wife’s attorney says everything is above board regarding the little girl and that the necessary legal steps for adoption are being taken. He says it’s a complicated process and takes time.
Complications are likely only to get worse if the probe leads to criminal action.