Almost two years after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie broke up, the two are still sparring over custody of their six children. Although the superstar couple has sought to keep their divorce out of the media, a court order issued this month has made its way into the hands of CNN. It provides some insight into the couple’s legal battle.
The court order includes a summer custody schedule in which Jolie will have primary physical custody of the children in London, where she is filming Maleficent 2. However, Pitt, who is living in Los Angeles, has shared custody of the kids — all of whom are under 17. He is also allowed to speak with them by phone with no restrictions.
The court order mandates that Jolie make her kids aware that the “court has determined that not having a relationship with their father is harmful to them, that maintaining a relationship with both parents is “critical” and that they are safe with their father.”
The language in the court order seems to indicate that the children’s relationship with Pitt is less than ideal. The order said, “If the minor children remain closed down to their father and depending on the circumstances surrounding this condition, it may result in a reduction of the time they spend with [Jolie] and may result in the Court ordering primary physical custody to [Pitt].”
While Pitt didn’t publicly respond to the report, a spokesperson for Jolie referred to it as a “misleading leak” of what she claimed was a “confidential and sealed court record” that presents an “inaccurate and unfair picture of what is really happening.” CNN says, however, that the court order was not sealed.
It’s not unusual for judges to be concerned if they believe that parents are trying to keep their kids away from their former spouse without good reason and/or that they’re negatively influencing their kids’ perception of their other parent. California family law attorneys help parents who believe that this is happening to them work to obtain the custody and visitation rights necessary to let them continue or rebuild a healthy relationship with their children.