On behalf of Cooper & Tanis, P.C. posted in high asset divorce on Friday, September 30, 2016.
Colorado celebrity watchers may already be aware that actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting divorced. Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt due to irreconcilable differences. The couple is one of the wealthiest and best-known in Hollywood, and they have six children.
Pitt and Jolie have accumulated an estimated $555 million combined since they met in 2004. In 2014, Pitt earned $76.5 million before fees and taxes, while Jolie made $39 million. Since 1999, when Forbes began estimating his annual earnings, Brad Pitt has made more than $380 million. In the 11 years since Forbes began tracking Jolie, she’s made $239.5 million.
Pitt is best known for his roles in films like “Fight Club”, “Oceans 11”, “A River Runs Through It” and “12 Years a Slave”. Jolie was in “Girl, Interrupted” and “Gia”, along with dozens of other films. She directed “In the Land of Blood and Honey”. The two appeared together in the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”.
It is likely, according to many observers, that Pitt and Jolie entered into a prenuptial agreement prior to their marriage. Both of them had significant wealth before the marriage, and both of them had been married previously. Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston; Jolie was married to actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton. If the couple has a prenuptial agreement, it is likely that any assets or earnings gained before the marriage will remain separate property.
Individuals who are approaching or going through a high asset divorce may want to consult an attorney. If a prenuptial agreement is already in place, an attorney can review it to see if there are any provisions that could be challenged.