Bristol Palin’s Ex-Fiancé Dakota Meyer Awarded Joint Custody of Their Baby Daughter Sailor Grace
Palin with her daughter, Sailor, and son Tripp. (Photo: Instagram)
After a months-long legal battle, an Alaska judge has awarded Bristol Palin and her ex-fiance Dakota Meyer joint physical and legal custody of their baby daughter Sailor Grace.
The interim order comes after the 25-year-old daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sought primary interim physical custody of Sailor, with Meyer to be allowed “reasonable” visitation and no overnight visits.
According to court documents viewed by PEOPLE, Alaska Judge Herman G. Walker Jr. ruled that it is in Sailor’s best interest for her to remain in Alaska with her mother. Meyer, who lives in Kentucky, will be allowed to visit his daughter in Alaska twice a month for four consecutive days at a time.
Palin had previously objected to overnight visits, arguing that they would disrupt her breastfeeding schedule with Sailor. But the judge said despite that, “the court finds it in the best interests of the child that overnight visitation [with the father] occur. Mother is to provide father with an adequate supply of milk or formula for overnight visitation.”
According to court documents obtained by The Daily Mail, Palin admitted in a text message to Meyer that she only breastfeeds Sailor at night.
Meyer also shared another text in which Palin said she “didn’t think about [Sailor] when she called off the wedding, and I didn’t think about her when I left [for Alaska].”
The papers then state: “Her decision to move back to Alaska, a decision in which Mr. Meyer had no say, is why there is a need for something other than a traditional visitation schedule. She must now accommodate visitation between Mr. Meyer and Sailor and the fact that the visitation may inconvenience her or occur on weekends is simply a direct consequence of her own decisions.”
Meyer said Palin initially agreed to giving him full day visits but when he told her he wanted time with Sailor away from Palin, she changed her mind and said Meyer could only spend four hours a day with the baby. That’s when Meyer requested a court-ordered visitation. While the former couple have come to an interim custody agreement, Dakota is still seeking longer visits with Sailor.
Meyer will be able to start visiting his daughter later this month. Overnight visits will begin in May. The former Marine and Medal of Honor recipient has not yet met his daughter, who was born Dec. 23.
