WELCOME to Plathville star Barry Plath has asked the court to be granted custody of his three youngest children and to receive child support from his estranged wife Kim amid their divorce, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
Kim, 51, filed for divorce from Barry, 56, on June 26, and they’ve been embroiled in a custody battle over their daughters Amber, 15, Cassia, 13, and Mercy, 11.
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Barry and Kim Plath on the set of their TLC reality series Welcome to PlathvilleCredit: TLC
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Kim Plath in a confessional interview in an episode of Welcome to PlathvilleCredit: TLC
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Barry and Kim Plath with their son Isaac and daughter AmberCredit: TLC
After Kim’s initial filing requested that she receive custody of her and Barry’s minor children and that the Plath patriarch pay child support, Barry fired back with a counterclaim.
In the documents filed through the Superior Court in Grady County, Georgia, on July 16, and exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, Barry demands that he “should be awarded temporary and permanent custody” of the girls.
Additionally, the court documents state that the reality star “is in need of and entitled to temporary and permanent child support for the care and maintenance” of his daughters.
According to court documents, he’s also asking for an “equitable division of marital property” and their marital debt to be split between the two parties.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Barry’s reps but have not heard back.
Kim made similar requests in her filing, arguing that she is a “fit and proper parent to care for the minor children.”
THE FAMILY DIVIDE
The TV personality moved out of her and Barry’s shared Cairo, Georgia, home to Florida after the pair parted ways in December 2021.
She recently told ET that she’s living on a boat with her three youngest kids after residing with her boyfriend, Ken Palmer, 51, in his $609,000 Florida home.
Kim and Barry are also parents to Ethan, 26; Hosanna, 24; Micah, 23; Moriah, 21; Lydia, 20; Isaac, 18; and a son, Joshua, who tragically died in an accident in 2008.
The former couple announced their separation in a joint statement to People that read, “After considerable thought and discussion, we have decided to end our marriage.
“We have been through many highs and lows in our 24 years of marriage and as we navigate this new chapter in our lives, we will co-parent our amazing children,” they added.
Fans watched their marriage struggles play out on Season 4 of Welcome to Plathville, where they each revealed their heartbreak over their relationship unraveling after over two decades together.
In one episode, Barry called their situation a “tragedy,” while Kim expressed how “hurt” and “unhappy” she felt in the marriage.
Season 6 of the TLC reality series premieres on Tuesday at 10 pm.
The season is expected to show Kim and Barry’s lives post-separation and their kids adjusting to other personal changes, including Ethan’s split from his wife, Olivia, and Micah’s new living situation with his girlfriend.
Fans have wondered if Kim’s October 2022 DUI arrest will be discussed in the new season, as it wasn’t mentioned in the last.
Kim was taken into custody from a June 10 incident for driving under the influence, property damage, and personal injury in Florida, The U.S. Sun confirmed.
The police report claimed authorities found her car upside down in a ditch filled with water, and she was taken to the hospital for her injuries.
In January 2023, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed that Kim demanded her blood test results not be permitted into evidence one day before her pre-trial conference
According to the court filing, the results showed her blood alcohol level to be .161 and .162, which is over the .08 legal limit.
Kim was put on probation and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
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Kim Plath posing for a picture with her boyfriend, Ken PalmerCredit: Facebook
