Suri in the middle

Katie Holmes is not taking any chances when it comes to ensuring custody of her six-year-old daughter Suri.

Hiring well-known lawyer Allan E. Mayefsky – known for representing Christie Brinkley in her high profile divorce case – whose company Aronson Mayefsky & Sloan, LLP, is reputed to be one of the best matrimonial law firms in New York City.

In addition to Mayefsky Holmes has employed New Jersey divorce lawyer Jonathan Wolfe, whose website states they specialise in ‘complex matrimonial matters’.

The 33-year-old actress’ lawyers reportedly filed for an emergency custody and child support hearing in New York yesterday, requesting sole custody and primary physical custody of Suri.

According to the website HollywoodLife.com a hearing for the filing has been set for July 17.

Jonathan Wolfe has since released a statement denying the claims that Holmes has filed an emergency hearing.

'Other than her action for divorce, the only pending application filed by Ms Holmes remains her request for an anonymous caption,' he said.

This means that the actress wants any papers in the case to be filed anonymously.

Tom Cruise is taking Katie’s move to gain sole custody of Suri very seriously and has returned to the same attorney, Dennis Wasser, who successfully represented him in his divorce from actress Nicole Kidman back in 2001.

Both of Kidman and Cruise’s adopted children, Isabella and Connor opted to continue living with their father at the time of the divorce. Their relationship with their mother has remained distant ever since and both children, now teenagers, are heavily involved in the Church of Scientology.

Since Holmes filed for divorce last Friday speculation about the reasons for her decision has been mounting. One report that has emerged is that Katie was concerned about the growing influence of the Church of Scientology over her young daughter.

Reports on celebrity website TMZ.com claimed that Holmes feared Cruise was planning on sending Suri to the infamous Sea Organisation referred to as a military-style Scientology boot camp.

The Daily Mail reported that Holmes is also concerned she is being monitored by ‘rogue elements’ from the sect, so much so that on Tuesday she called police to the New York apartment where she is living with Suri after becoming worried about two mysterious men in a black Mercedes SUV parked outside her home – apparently both were without cameras.

A lawyer for the Church of Scientology has since issued a statement denying they are monitoring the actress and her daughter.

“There is no truth whatsoever to the TMZ.com report (or any other report) that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone to follow or surveil Katie Holmes,” wrote lawyer Gary Soter in an email to AFP.

He also added that Suri was too young to be accepted into the Sea Organisation.

"The allegation about a 6-year-old joining the Sea Org is similarly untrue," added Mr Soter.

While Holmes’ move to end her five-year marriage seems to have taken Cruise by surprise – finding out by fax while filming his latest movie in Iceland – he has wasted no time in directing his law team to form their own counter-strategy.

One of his lawyers, Bret Fields, confirmed the A-lister will file a rival divorce case but is allowing Holmes’ camp to monopolise the media’s attention for the moment.

 “We are letting ‘the other side’ (Katie and her team), play the media until they wear everyone out and then we’ll have something to say,” he told BBC radio.

“Tactically we can’t say where Tom will file for a divorce case and if he will be seeking joint custody of Suri,” he added.

While Holmes’ reasons remain unclear one thing is certain. Both Cruise and Holmes are prepared for a tough court battle for custody of Suri Cruise.