Angelina Jolie Legal Victory

Angelina Jolie recently had a major victory in court regarding her child custody battle with ex, Brad Pitt. Jolie and Pitt share six children, however their oldest is 19 so their child custody case only concerns their remaining 5 minor children.

Jolie was successful in disqualifying the presiding Judge, John W. Ouderkirk. Orange County Superior Court Judge Erick Larsh determined that Judge Ouderkirk never properly clarified his business relationship with Pitt to the court. Thus, the almost-concluded custody case between the two stars, which has lasted for four years, will be terminated and a new one will begin. Jolie previously asked the judge to remove himself from the case in August 2020, but he did not do so. The court questioned Judge Ouderkirk’s relationship with Pitt’s counsel and his ability to stay impartial in the case. Ouderkirk has a history with the couple, as he previously married the two stars in 2014. Jolie’s attorneys argue that the Judge did not play by the rules and needs to face repercussions.

Going forward, the two stars have to agree on a new private judge or Pitt’s lawyers will need to take the case to a public judge. Jolie has been attempting to block Pitt from gaining custody and ultimately sharing joint custody. Jolie would need to prove that joint custody is not in the best interest of the children. This may be a hard task to achieve, as nothing worrisome in regard to Pitt’s parenting has been discovered in the court proceedings. Some of the five children are almost 18 and may age out of this child custody case before it is even settled. Many celebrities like Angela Jolie and Brad Pitt hire private judges to keep their cases away from public scrutiny.

Faye Riva Cohen, Esquire is the founder and managing attorney of the Law office of Faye Riva Cohen, P.C. in Philadelphia, PA. She writes a blog called “Tough Lawyer Lady.” She represents clients in labor, discrimination, family law, real estate, and estate litigation issues. If you are dealing with child custody issues, please contact Attorney Cohen at 215-563-7776 or frc@fayerivacohen.com. Her office is located at 2047 Locust St. in an historic brownstone.

Attorney Cohen acknowledges the writing assistance of Gillian Southworth, one of the Firm’s summer law clerks, who is a student at Duquesne University School of Law.