Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have announced in a joint statement that they have reached an agreement to handle their divorce in a private forum and will work together to reunify their family. The statement released on Monday said that they will keep future details of their divorce confidential by using a private judge. Read excerpts below
“The parties and their counsel have signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issues,” their statement read. The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification.”
The statement is the first joint comment from the actors on their divorce since Jolie filed to end their marriage in September. Custody of their six children has been the primary issue in the divorce, with Jolie initially seeking sole physical custody.
California law favours joint custody in divorce cases, although final arrangements are often agreed to by parents and formalised in a written agreement.