Not so fast on full custody, experts say of Jolie’s demand
LOS ANGELES — In the global hubbub over the Brangelina divorce, Angelina Jolie Pitt’s demand for sole physical custody of her six children with Brad Pitt has attracted its share of the attention. Yet experts say Jolie Pitt won’t have the final say, and that Pitt and the couple’s eldest son, Maddox, may even have a voice in custody arrangements.
Stacy Phillips, a veteran divorce attorney, called Jolie Pitt’s request for sole physical custody a “wish list,” one that could change as the divorce progresses. Phillips, like many, saw the request as a message to Pitt, although what the actress is trying to convey won’t be known for some time, if ever.
Pitt has yet to file his legal response to Jolie Pitt’s divorce petition, but each actor released statements Tuesday indicating their children were the priority. The pair has six children, ranging in ages from 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne to 15-year-old Maddox.
“It’s not uncommon that a person would seek sole physical custody in their initial filing,” said divorce lawyer Lori Howe. “That doesn’t mean it is what they will end up seeking if they resolve the case through settlement or in a courtroom. … She very well could change her mind as well. And there’s nothing to stop her from doing that, despite having checked those boxes on her petition.”