Tom Cruise and Suri "Are Together All the Time," Attorney Says in Defense of Actor's Fatherly Devotion

"He talks to her every day, sometimes many times a day," Bert Fields tells E! News; Cruise is suing Bauer Media for reporting that he "abandoned" Suri postdivorce

Tom Cruise couldn't be a more devoted dad to 6-year-old Suri, according to his attorney.

"He talks to her every day, sometimes many times a day," Cruise' longtime lawyer Bert Fields exclusively told E! News today following a trial conference regarding the actor's $50 million defamation suit against In Touch Weekly and Life & Style publisher Bauer Media.

"It's just the opposite of what they said in the magazine," Fields added, referring to reports in the aforementioned magazines that suggested Cruise had "abandoned" his youngest daughter following his divorce from Katie Holmes last summer. 

The opposing sides filed discovery motions on Feb. 14 asking for laundry lists of information from each other.

Cruise's camp wanted a detailed history of reporting on him—and Scientology—done by Bauer publications over the years, as well as insight into their information-gathering process, while Bauer asked for a thorough accounting of Cruise's contact with Suri since the split.

Fields tells us that Cruise is "particularly concerned, with the divorce, that [Suri] knows he is still there for her all the time."

"They are together all the time. He is a very caring father and that is at the heart of this lawsuit."

The Oblivion star "just adores his child," Fields said, adding, "but he adores all his children."

According to attorneys for both sides, today's court appearance was merely a meet-and-greet with the judge in chambers.

Another status hearing is scheduled for April 29, though Bauer attorney Elizabeth McNamara told us, as far as she's concerned, this case will not be going to trial. The publisher has stood by its reporting to date.