Brad and Angelina’s Child Support Battle

Child Support is the latest topic in the divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, an event that has made headlines for almost two years now. Most recently, the debate is over Jolie’s claims for “meaningful” child support. The issue is over a loan made by Brad to Angelina and whether or not it should be considered child support.

Jolie’s filing on August 7, obtained by CNN although support filings in the Los Angeles Superior Court are generally not publicly available, accused Pitt of being an alleged “deadbeat dad,” having paid no “meaningful” child support since separation in 2016. She is now asking Brad to pay 50 % of the children’s expenses, claiming he has not paid his share.

Pitt retaliated the next day (in documents also obtained by a news organization) that he lent Jolie some $8 million to help her purchase her current home, and paid more than $1.3 million in bills for the benefit of her and their children. Both acknowledge that any previous exchange of funds was an informal arrangement not memorialized with the Court.

While the amounts involved in the Jolie-Pitt support argument are mindboggling for the average Pennsylvania family – a more common range for child support is $500.00-$3,000.00 per month – it is not unusual for parents to create a support arrangement between themselves, particularly in the early days of separation. Such agreements only work as long as trust is maintained between the parties. Obviously, that trust is no longer present in the case of the popular Hollywood couple.

In Pennsylvania, child support – when it is calculated by the Court – is arrived at by feeding all relevant financial data into a state-provided computer formula that takes into account the state’s support law.  The formula considers the income as well as the proven earning power (past salaries) of the parties, as well as the custodial time each has with the children. It also factors in childcare and healthcare costs.

The goal of this formula is to simplify the process and reduce legal fees – it does not assess separate ‘loans’ made to the other party. A loan is not child support, though the court will take into consideration payments made to the custodial parent between the filing date and the Support Conference. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania assumes both parents have a fiscal responsibility to their children and will acknowledge efforts to fulfill this responsibility, as long as such payments can be verified with copies of checks or bank records.

If your informal support arrangement is no longer working, I can help you register your claim with the Court. Call my office at 215-345-5259 for a free first consult.

-Siena Cerra for Elissa C. Goldberg, Esquire

Law Office of Elissa C. Goldberg
107 North Broad Street, Suite 211
Doylestown, PA 18901