Katie Holmes has been spotted leaving her lawyer’s office in a sign that her divorce from Tom Cruise could be a speedy affair. A public hearing is scheduled for July 17 in New York, however with both teams of lawyers reportedly currently negotiating a settlement there may not be a long drawn out divorce and custody battle over daughter Suri Cruise which many expected. Sources have told celebrity gossip website TMZ that the lawyers are negotiating child custody, visitation, child support and a property settlement – and that there are no immediate plans for either side to go to court unless negotiations fall apart. The online fanzine also cites sources saying negotiations are “calm” and that the whole settlement could be ratified in New York, without the case being transferred by Cruise’s legal team to California. New York City courts are more likely to award sole custody to a sole parent, whereas courts in California tend to award joint custody. Holmes is said to have hired law firm Aronson, Mayefsky and Sloan to handle the proceedings. She emerged from the firm’s offices on Saturday wearing dark sunglasses and dressed casually in a bright, yellow summer dress and denim jacket. The 33-year-old Dawson’s Creek star was immediately surrounded by reporters, TV crews and paparazzi camped outside the building. Holmes announced her split from Cruise after five years of marriage last month. Cruise, who is the Church of Scientology’s most prominent member, married Holmes who was raised a Catholic, in an Italian castle in November 2006. The actress filed for divorce in New York citing “irreconcilable differences”, leading to speculation in the media that Cruise’s religion may have played a part in Holmes’ decision to file for divorce. The 50-year-old Hollywood superstar has been married previously to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman. He is said to have hired Dennis Wasser, the same Los Angeles family-law expert he used when he split from Kidman in 2001.
