Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been separated for years, but the two have very much remained part of each other's lives as the legal battle surrounding their divorce has yet to come to an end. The focus of the proceedings in recent months has revolved around the custody of the couples' minor children. That issue appears to be settled, at least for the moment, as the judge has allowed for a joint custody agreement. However, that just means that the case can now proceed to other issues, like dividing up the joint property.
According to Evening Standard, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have yet to deal with their combined assets, including a winery in France that the pair bought together for $60 million. Dealing with the ownership of "stuff" may end up being easier to deal with than the custody of the children. But one has to imagine that when we're talking about "stuff" value in the ten of millions of dollars or more, there are going to be some issues that come up.
Ownership of a $60 million winery is certainly the sort of thing that could potentially be a major sticking point. On the one hand, it's possible that neither own of them really wants to own the winery themselves. In which case, selling it off and splitting the proceeds would likely be simple enough, assuming a buyer can be found. Alternatively, it's possible the two could retain shared ownership of the winery as separate parties rather than a married couple. Perhaps they can still be business partners even if they're not life partners.
But if Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt both want the winery, and they also want the other party out of the picture, then we could see another significant battle. If neither party wants to sell out then the judge will need to step in and make a decision. And who knows what else is among the community property that could become important?
While the property may be the next area of focus for the divorce proceedings, that doesn't mean that former issues won't come up again. While a joint custody arrangement has been ordered, Angelina Jolie's side had already said it would appeal any order that didn't award Jolie the sole custody she was asking for. She reportedly had also asked the court to remove the judge in the case, and if that happens, we could see any decisions already made need to go back to square one.
Clearly, all this is far from over. With all this having gone on for years, despite the fact that legally the duo is no longer married, it looks like it could be quite sometime before all of this is truly resolved.
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