Judge declares the reality star legally single and grants bid to restore her maiden name in bitter divorce from Kanye West, leaving decisions on money and custody unresolved

Kim Kardashian is officially single again. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge ruling in the 41-year-old reality TV star’s contentious divorce from Kanye West, granted her request to be declared legally single immediately and settle child custody and money issues later.

The legal action is called bifurcation, which West opposed. Kardashian — wearing a black blouse and her hair swept back — appeared via video today at a court in downtown LA.

West, 44, did not appear in person nor via video.

Judge Steve Cochran granted her request to have her maiden name restored, and he denied West’s motion to prevent Kardashian from transferring ᴀssets out of trusts set up during the marriage.

The feuding couple, both billionaires, had their high powered attorneys in court Wednesday: Laura Wᴀsser for Kardashian and Samantha Spector for West. Spector was only appointed last night after West fired his previous lawyer.

Judge Cochran began today’s hearing by asking Kardashian how her four children by the hip hop star and producer — North, eight; Saint, six; Chicago, four; and Psalm two — are doing.

‘Everybody is doing OK,’ she responded.

Asked by the judge if she was ‘showering her children with affection,’ she replied, ‘Absolutely.’ She added, ‘We’re having so much fun.’

After asking Kardashian to raise her right hand to be sworn in, Judge Cochran asked her a series of five questions:

Is everything true in your peтιтion? ‘Yes,’ she replied.

Did you live in Los Angeles at least six months prior to filing for divorce? ‘Yes.’ Is your marriage irretrievably broken? ‘Yes.’ Will counseling save your marriage? ‘No.’

Is it your desire to be granted single status? ‘Yes.’

With a grin, the judge told Kim it was his practice to see pH๏τos of children involved in cases before his court. But in this case, he added, he did not ask to see pictures, ‘to protect the children’s privacy. Is that OK with you?

‘Yes your honor, thank you,’ she responded with a smile. Wᴀsser told the court that she ‘didn’t believe there would be any disagreements’ between the celebrity couple over custody of their kids.

But she and West’s attorney, Spector, hit roadblocks on two other issues.

The first was Kanye request to prevent Kim from transferring ᴀssets out of any trust — a request Kim has fired back at due to their existing prenup, which already keeps their trusts and ᴀssets separate. Wᴀsser told the court today that Kim ‘uses these trusts for her business and to freeze her ᴀssets would…create problems. It would prevent her from doing business.’

The second point of dispute was West’s request for Kim to ‘waive marital privilege.’ Waiving marital privilege would means all of their communication would no longer be private and instead would be part of the court record.

Wᴀsser branded the request ‘unprecedented’ and accused West of trying ‘to prevent or make it difficult for Ms. Kardashian to remarry’ in the future.

Judge Cochran denied West’s attempt to stop Kardashian from taking money out of her trusts and he also denied the rapper’s request for her to waive marital privilege, telling the court, ‘The law provides no support for that condition.’

The judge scheduled August 5 for a status and pretrial hearing to hear arguments from both sides about financial and child custody issues still to be settled.