The custody battle between Madonna and Guy Ritchie over their son Rocco is being considered by a judge at the High Court. Guy's wife Jacqui Ritchie was seen looking downcast as she left the London court on Thursday afternoon, following a short hearing.
Mr Justice MacDonald is hearing the case in private, and has said that it is his "fervent hope" that the former couple can reach an "amicable resolution" over who their 15-year-old son should live with.
Guy Ritchie attended a court hearing about Rocco's custody battle on Thursday
The dispute has been ongoing since December when Rocco was ordered by a judge to return to the US to figure out his living situation. The teen chose not to return, and has been living in London with Guy, Jacqui and their three young sons.
Thursday's court hearing comes a week after Madonna and Guy listened in to another court hearing via telephone conference call, where it was agreed that Rocco will remain in London for the time being.
New York Supreme Court Judge Deborah Kaplan said she would not remove Rocco from his school, since both parties have agreed he should maintain a "normal" life. "No one is disrupting this household. The child is in school; let us try to allow him to go forward in the most normal way," she said. "We're not forcing the child to leave school. His mother isn't asking that."
Rocco has been living with his father since December
The New York judge also stated it would be in Rocco's best interests to keep the matter out of the spotlight, and urged his parents to find a custody resolution outside of the courtroom. She said, "I'm encouraging the parents to continue to resolve this matter in the best way possible for the child to take this tremendous pressure off their son.”
While a lawyer for Rocco has said he "does not want to return to New York," the teen is not far from his mother's thoughts. The singer broke down in tears during a concert in New Zealand on Friday, and dedicated her song La Vie en Rose to Rocco.
She told the crowd: "There is no love stronger than a mother for her son."