Since their divorce in 2016, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been facing each other in court over their six children. The judge's final decision was to grant joint custody to the Hollywood actor.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been fighting legally since they made their divorce official in 2016. One of the legal battles arose over who would take care of their six children and, this Wednesday, May 26, the Hollywood actor won joint custody of minors, according to the Magazine.
After five years, the 57-year-old artist and his ex-wife are fighting in courts in the United States for equal rights in raising children. Despite the actress's attempts to stop her counterpart's attempts to obtain victory, Judge John Ouderkirk has decided to grant joint custody to both.
Months of extensive testimonies have been provided by a multitude of witnesses, including child services professionals, individuals who interviewed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children, as well as those closely associated with the family. This exhaustive process was essential in reaching a final verdict. A source closely connected to the case affirmed, "Numerous witnesses, experts, therapists, and individuals closely involved with the children were consulted."
The outcome of the custody arrangements underwent a substantial transformation following an intricately detailed decision by the presiding judge. According to a source, Brad Pitt's primary objective was to spend more quality time with his children, but it has become evident that significant efforts were made to obstruct this desire on Angelina Jolie's part.
Another anonymous person assured that Angelina Jolie's reasons for taking part in the legal confrontation were not about closing all doors to the father of her children: "Shared custody is not the issue that Angelina opposes, there were other issues of concern, but The judicial proceedings are closed and sealed.”
The children of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did not testify
Initially, the Oscar winner asked that minors be able to testify, but the California magistrate refused to accept this. In that sense, he criticized the judge's decision for not taking into account evidence that he considered important for the “health, safety and well-being” of her children.
“Judge Ouderkirk denied Ms. Jolie a fair trial, improperly excluding evidence relevant to her health, safety, and well-being of the children, critical evidence to presenting her case,” said Angelina Jolie’s legal team. “He has refused to listen to the opinions of minors about their experiences, needs, or desires regarding their custody status.”
The law of California, in the USA, indicates that a child can testify only from the age of 14 and only if he or she wishes to do so. On the other hand, Brad Pitt's defense indicates that it has carried out "an extensive procedure over the past six months thoroughly and fairly and reached a decision after listening to experts and insightful witnesses."
Of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's six children, only the eldest is not subject to the joint custody agreement: Maddox, 19. Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12, are engaged within the legal agreement between their parents.
