Most parents don't go to court over child custody issues when they divorce. But in the 5 to 10 percent of cases that do wind up in litigation, things can get very ugly. Accusations of unfit parenting, substance addiction and physical abuse have been a staple in divorce court. Now computer browser histories, cell-phone records and charges like 'alienation,' in which one parent says the other has turned a child against them, have been added to the toxic custody battle stew. And it can only be more painful if the details of your family's ordeal are all over the papers because you're a celebrity. In the past few years we've been very public witness to a disturbing telephone conversation in which actor Alec Baldwin berates his daughter, and we've watched Britney Spears suffer a mental breakdown and then lose custody of her children. The stories are cringe-inducing, and the issues are often sordid, but they are not that unfamiliar in family court. A look at some of the fiercest custody battles among the Hollywood set.
