Trial set for next year in Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas custody battle

Entertainment

By Jared Downing and Priscilla DeGregory

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are set to go to trial at the beginning of next year over custody of their two young daughters, a Manhattan federal judge ruled Tuesday.

The Jan. 2 trial date was set during a Manhattan federal court hearing in the emergency lawsuit that the “Game of Thrones” actress brought against her estranged hubby seeking for her children Willa, 3, and Delphine, 1, to be returned to their “forever home” in England.

The Jonas Brothers frontman, 34, and the “Dark Phoenix” star, 27, were not present in court – although Turner did call into the hearing, but didn’t speak except to ask if the judge and lawyers could hear her.

During the roughly 45-minute hearing, Turner’s attorneys pressed the judge to set a trial date as soon as possible, arguing that the actress had a new project beginning in England in January and urging that the case should be resolved before then.

“We have young kids, and we have the petitioner who is here now in the United States, but she has work commitments in the UK in January,” one of her lawyers said.

Jonas’ side asked for a date next year after his world music tour ends on Dec. 9.

Jonas lawyer Richard Min told the judge that both sides had been in communication in the lead up to mediation – which begins Wednesday – but he couldn’t say if they would be able to settle in the alternate forum.

He also said the trial could last between four days to two weeks.

Cullen assured the judge that both parents were seeing the children regularly in spite of their public split.

“The parties are both seeing their children in a very unfettered way,” Cullen said.

The singer filed for divorce from Turner in a Florida court in early September seeking to end their four year marriage.

The pair have a hearing in the Florida court on Dec. 14 where they will both be required to show up in person, Cullen told the Manhattan judge Tuesday as they were picking a trial date.

Turner argued in her Sept. 21 lawsuit that prior to the relationship imploding, the couple had planned to move into a stunning Wallingford, Oxford estate by December – making the UK their daughters’ home base.

The pair agreed that while they duke out custody in court the children will temporarily remain in New York City.

Taylor Swift has loaned out her Big Apple pad to Turner until the custody battle is resolved.

The estranged duo are also fighting each other about what court should have jurisdiction over the custody struggle.

Turner ultimately wants the case to land in a UK court – where she would have an edge – while Jonas wants the case to remain in the US.