When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorced only a month ago, the press went wild. Everyone wanted to cover the story, and find out where their 6-year-old daughter Suri would spend the majority of her time. Many press outlets thought they should start preparing reporters for a massive legal battle involving custody, school for Suri, Suri’s future religion, and a host of other child custody issues. Yet in the blink of an eye the entire divorce was over. Katie Holmes has primary custody of her child and Cruise will get to see her every once and awhile, where she will be watched by a nanny chosen with the help of Holmes. As well, Suri will be raised Roman Catholic, like her mother, rather than being taught the doctrines of her father’s Scientology.

The divorce was speedy and surprisingly friendly. Compared to past celebrity divorces, Cruise and Holmes were models of agreeable and professional behavior when dealing with their split. The question remains; is it possible for any couple to complete their divorce as fast as Holmes and Cruise did? While the couple may have been given some special attention by the courts because of their high profile status, you can settle your child custody agreements just as fast if you follow their example. To do this, you will want to first discuss what custody agreement is in the child’s best interest. If you know that your child would fare better in one parent’s care, then let that be a factor in your decision. Evaluate how demanding your job is and whether you or your spouse is better off financially.

Next, be reasonable when determining custody. If you start out your discussion with an “all or nothing” mentality, you may not be able to come to a conclusion as fast as you want to. Be friendly and understanding of your spouse, and don’t hold on to unrealistic goals. Once you have determined your child custody agreement, don’t try to renegotiate. This will make things complicated. If your spouse has the kids on Christmas, then you should be able to agree with this statement. Don’t make demands that are in opposition to your agreements because this can end up costing you precious time when trying to get a quick divorce.

As well, don’t waste time on the insignificant. If you are worried about the little details involved in your child custody plan, leave them for later. At the moment, you want to focus on coming to an agreeable medium with your spouse so that your children won’t be severely affected by the split. The most important thing to remember in your child custody discussions is to keep your focus on the children. For Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, avoiding Suri’s exposure to media and keeping her out of the public eye were the main reasons that they quickly came to a custody conclusion. For you, avoiding a long, drawn-out battle may help you to preserve your children’s respect.

They won’t see you fighting with your spouse, or have time to grow attached to one parent over the other. Sometimes, feuding couples can even try to bribe the children onto their side. This is an emotionally draining and frustrating experience for the young ones, who probably don’t want any involvement in your discussions. They simply want to feel loved and supported by their parents, and probably don’t want to have to change schools and lose friends because of relocation. Talk to a family lawyer for more information about how to negotiate a swift and simply child custody agreement.