Why did Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie take so long to divorce?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have finally reached a divorce settlement after eight years of legal battles. Angelina officially signed the divorce papers after years of disputes, filing them on Monday, December 30. According to court documents, she has waived her right to financial support from Brad Pitt. However, there are no agreements regarding the couple’s six children. Only their twins, Knox and Vivienne, are minors, while the other children are adults.

Angelina Jolie’s Divorce Filing

Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking custody of their children, including Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, at the time. According to family lawyer Scott Weston from California, who does not represent either party in the divorce, the length of time this couple has taken to completely resolve the case is highly unusual.

Brad Pitt’s Legal Struggles

John Lambros, a family law attorney licensed in Florida, Michigan, and Massachusetts, stated that the involvement of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) “could significantly slow down the case.” This came after Brad Pitt was investigated by DCFS for allegations of “verbal abuse” and “assault” on his children aboard a private plane before Angelina filed for divorce.

Custody Disagreements Between Brad and Angelina

John noted that Angelina and Brad remain at odds over custody and other issues related to their children. The back-and-forth between them has also “not helped” the case to progress.

Efforts Toward Reconciliation

In 2017, both actors announced that they were working toward reconciliation and signed an agreement to protect the privacy of their children and family, keeping court documents confidential and hiring a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions. Later, they were legally declared single in 2019, although no settlement had been reached. Lambros believes that this may have diminished the motivation for both to quickly end the divorce.