If you haven’t heard the news by now, I can only assume that you have been living under a rock or buried in a media-less hole for some time now. And yes, by “the news”, I mean the news of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s impending divorce.
When Angelina filed her petition for divorce on September 19 the split quickly became the only thing that anyone has talked about since, or so it seems. Although the couple has been together for 12 years, and have 6 kids together, they were only married for a short two years, and the divorce came as a complete shock to the public, and apparently also came as a complete shock to Brad himself.
The rumors have no bounds when it comes to the reason why the couple has called it quits (or at least why Angelina decided to call it quits.) Initially, it was widely believed that the split came after Angelina hired a private investigator that discovered an affair with another celebrity co-star of an upcoming film.
Now, a more disturbing story has since surfaced; that the split came as a result of an argument between Brad and Angelina on a private jet traveling from Europe back to California just before Angelina filed her petition for divorce. Brad was alleged to be drunk during the argument, and their son Maddox got in the middle of the argument. It appears that once they returned to the country, they both spoke with the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, and the FBI is now gathering facts in order to determine whether an investigation into child abuse will take place.
Although Brad completely denies any child abuse allegations, we can’t blame Angelina for taking action and wanting to do whatever possible to protect her children. As a parent the safety and well-being of your children should be the most important consideration to you. If you are going through a divorce or child custody or child custody dispute, your children’s safety and well-being will be the most important consideration for the court as well.
Because the facts of Brad and Angelina’s split are still incredibly unclear, it is difficult to speculate as to how their divorce matter may be resolved. However, since the marriage was of such short duration, property issues will likely not take precedence. It looks as though the children will become the center focus of this divorce, as often happens when parties with minor children divorce. Having six children together, all of varying ages, may make for a complicated and messy child custody battle. If the allegations of child abuse are true, and we certainly hope they are not, things don’t look too great for Brad. We will work hard to keep you posted as news of the “Brangelina” split unfolds!
Please contact us if you are considering a divorce from your spouse, a legal separation, or have questions regarding child custody and visitation. Nancy J. Bickford is the only Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) in San Diego County who is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Don’t settle for less when determining your rights. Call 858-793-8884 in Del Mar, Carmel Valley, North County or San Diego.