What was once the Hollywood It couple is now two separate persons involved in a child custody and visitation battle that many Americans know all too well.
The couple split in 2016, and they are still undergoing negotiations about custody over their five minor children. Their oldest child, Maddox, is 19 and therefore exempt from custody disputes.
Even for millionaire celebrities, child visitation rights is a very sore and sensitive subject. Both parents are attached to their children and want a hand in their development into adulthood. However, both sides have to hire a family law attorney in Los Angeles to argue why they should get to spend time with the child. Oftentimes, childrearing is one of the reasons a couple divorces, so it makes sense that custody battles remain a big point of contention.
Pitt, 57, was recently awarded more custody, and Jolie, 45, has made claims that the judge who made this decision is not giving her a fair trial. Judge Ouderkirk is the same judge that married the couple back in 2014. He is now handling their child custody and visitation rights.
Jolie filed a complaint last month to California’s Second District Court of Appeal regarding Judge Ouderkirk’s ruling over the case. Jolie previously attempted to have the judge removed from their case but failed. This happened last November.
According to sources close to the couple, it’s not Pitt’s visitation that Jolie is worried about. She realizes that having both parents in a child’s life is essential to their emotional wellbeing. She allegedly has other issues of concern, but these are hard to identify since the California family court proceedings are closed and sealed.
Jolie’s family court lawyers argued that Judge Ouderkirk denied her a fair trial by excluding her evidence relevant to the children’s health, safety, and welfare. According to them, this evidence was critical to making her case.
Additionally, she claims that the judge denied her teenager’s requests to testify. In California, children over the age of 14 can weigh in on custodial preference, but Judge Ouderkirk refused to hear the testimony of Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, and Shiloh, 14. The three teenagers wanted to provide additional information and input about their needs, desires, and experiences about their parental custody.
If you find yourself in a custody and visitation dispute similar to Pitt and Jolie’s, contact our family court law firm. We can ensure that you are given a fair trial.
