News abound online about Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt citing irreconcilable differences as a cause. The whole thing erupted into a series of headlines about the famous couple split.
The divorce of one of Hollywood's most famous couples poses serious questions about their property planning. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt share six children together and more than $500M worth of cumulative earnings.
Since they got married in 2014, the couple has earned a combined $117.5 million before taxes and fees, according to some estimates. Pitt has earned the bulk of that money, with some $76.5 million nearly doubled Jolie's income in that period.
The couple has been together for 12 years since they met while working on Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2004). In that time, the Fight Club and 12 Years a Slave actor have earned an estimated $315.5 million pretax.
Only in 2016, he cashed in $31.5 million. That was good enough to spot him on the Celebrity 100 ranking of highest-paid entertainers. Pitt's career earnings soar above $379.5 million.
The 42-year-old actress, who is seeking custody of their 6 kids, pocketed $239.5 million in the past 11 years. She became famous starring role as the video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider movie and continued her successful action-star career with movies such as Gia and Girl, Interrupted.
Also, her biggest commercial success the fantasy picture Maleficent (2014). Angelina Jolie has also moved behind the camera with the wartime dramas In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and Unbroken (2014). She is Hollywood's highest-paid actress.
Together, the couple has pocketed over $555 million since they are in a relationship. Since both of them was married before, experts say it would be highly likely that those two have signed a prenuptial agreement to determine exactly what to do in the case of a separation or divorce.
With a pre-nuptial, any earnings or property acquired before their wedding, including years they were in a relationship but not married will remain the sole property of the individual. As for assets and other holdings earned throughout their marriage will be split, according to terms of the assumed prenup. In the highly unlikely case that they don't have one, it will be governed by California community property laws that will split assets evenly.
Before they got married, the most famous Hollywood couple bought houses in New Orleans and Correns, France, which will not be considered marital property. According to Los Angeles Times, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have already sold their home in New Orleans' French Quarter for $4.9 million.
Apart from the property and the money, the source of conflict could be their children, if Pitt decides to fight Jolie's pursuit of sole custody. If their kids live primarily with Angelina, Brad will be paying her the child support, but if they share the custody neither of them would pay child support.
Terms of any prenuptial agreement between the two have yet to be made clear. It remains to be seen how they will solve custody over their kids and divide their sizeable estate.
