When New Jersey married couples separate, they have choices concerning how their relationships end. A divorce does not have to follow the traditional adversarial system that tends to increase tensions and result in dissatisfaction. This could be part of the reason why Brad Pitt has chosen not to respond to Angelina Jolie’s divorce petition.
In the ordinary course of events, the party who was served with divorce papers has a certain amount of time to file a formal response with the court. When Pitt failed to meet that deadline, it might have been because he and Jolie want to keep things amicable. Negotiating their own divorce settlement provides them with a myriad of advantages that they would not have in a courtroom.
The first benefit is privacy. The details of any agreement they reach will not be part of the public record. Second, they will retain control over the process and the decisions that are made. People are often more satisfied with settlements in which they took part and tailored to the needs of their families than if they let a court make all of the decisions. Reaching a settlement in this manner often helps to foster an atmosphere of cooperation that might otherwise be absent, which could be crucial if the parties have children like Pitt and Jolie do.
Only time will tell whether Pitt and Jolie are able to come to an amicable resolution of their issues, but at least it appears that they are trying. New Jersey couples could follow their example and negotiate their own divorce settlements as well. Doing so could help the parties feel as though they were treated fairly and received equitable settlements.
Source: eonline.com, “Here’s Why Brad Pitt Probably Hasn’t Responded to Angelina Jolie’s Divorce Filing“, Samantha Schnurr and Holly Passalaqua, Oct. 21, 2016