The Brangelina divorce has been a hot topic for a full year at this point, and the roller coaster of emotions has come through loud and clear in the media and court filings. Despite the couple’s wealth and power (or maybe in spite of it), they still have not finalized the process.

However, recently, it was discovered that Brad Pitt’s attorneys are planning to file a motion with the court to hopefully speed things along. A Life and Style Magazine exclusive report claims that Brad is ready to move on with his life, and just wants to get the divorce part, at least, done and over with. Does the law allow him to do so?

Speeding Up Just the Divorce

The big complication that has caused the divorce to drag on is the massive child custody battle between the couple, who have six children. The battle over the kids has been heated, with gossip publications reporting on every potential aspect of the issue, despite both Brad and Angelina’s requests to keep the matter private.

Fortunately for Brad, under California law, divorcing parties can seek to bifurcate, or divide, their divorce proceedings based on the issues. Essentially, the motion Brad’s attorney’s plan to file asks the court enter a decree that the couple is no longer legally married, while not issuing any orders regarding the division of assets, alimony/child support (though those aren’t likely to apply here), or, the biggest issue for the celebrity couple, child custody. All these issues will still need to be resolved by settlement or court order, but after the decree of divorce is entered, either would be free to remarry.

California Divorce Timeline

Generally, in California, where countless celebrities reside, the court process for getting a divorce takes some time, by law. Minimally, before a judge can issue a decree of divorce, there is a six month waiting period after divorce papers are served, or the non-initiating party appears in court. Additionally, if a judge believes that there is a chance of reconciliation, the judge is authorized to delay the proceedings for up to 30 days.

In addition to the waiting period, court calendars can be incredibly packed, as can the schedules of attorneys, which are often dictated by other court dates which cannot be moved without good cause. So, even though the Brangelina divorce is still going one year later, in California, that isn’t too particularly unusual.

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Celebrity Justice

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