Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect/Getty ImagesFollowing Mindy McCready's death yesterday, the country singer's family attorney Eric Hughes is mourning the loss of his client and friend.
"I am very saddened by the death of Mindy McCready, my client and more importantly my friend," Hughes says in a statement exclusively to E! News.
Hughes handled McCready's 2011 custody case involving her now 6-year-old son Zander, with her ex Billy McKnight.
McCready had violated a court order when she didn't bring her then 5-year-old son, Zander, back home to Florida after a visit. Zander was subsequently placed in foster care in the state while the custody dispute was dealt with, but McCready was given full custody in late 2012.
"During the time I knew Mindy, her children were uppermost in her mind," Hughes says. "When she brought Zander to Arkansas she was shown respect and compassion by the Arkansas Department of Human Services and the judge hearing her case. That was a real change from what she experienced in another state. Mindy did everything asked of her and was granted full and complete custody of Zander."
McCready and her boyfriend David Wilson, who died just a little over a month ago, welcomed a son Zayne in April of last year, with Hughes saying, "She and David were thrilled with the arrival of Zayne. Unfortunately, the tragedy of David's passing weighed heavily on Mindy and apparently caused her life to spin out of her control."