Brad Pitt Has 'High Hopes' For Equal Joint Custody Amid Court Battle With Angie

Brad Pitt is hoping the court will grant him equal custody of his children with ex-Angelina Jolie. A hearing was set to take place on Monday, October 5, regarding the children's custody, but it was delayed.

"Brad is asking for 50/50 custody to be put in place and stay in place," a source told Entertainment Tonight. "Angelina wants to be fair when it comes to custody. She is very structured with the children. Brad has high hopes they can try to make it work because of the importance of co-parenting."

The actors — who share Maddox, 19, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 12 — originally reached a custody agreement in November 2018. However, things fizzled after Jolie filed a request to have Judge John W. Ouderkirk disqualified from their lengthy court battle.

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The source explained, "Brad, for the most part, has been respectful of Angelina's parenting." While he doesn't agree with all of her methods, "he knows she loves the kids and wants the best for them. He also knows his love and presence are needed."

Pitt has "done everything he can to avoid a court situation" but feels he has been "left with no other choice" if he wants to be allowed more time with his children. The Fight Club actor doesn't want his kids to worry about "their parents' current situation" nor feel "stuck in the middle in any way," the source dished. "Brad has avoided this court scenario for years, and the last thing he would ever want is for this to have a negative outcome for everyone.

"This is about getting his time with the children," the source added. Another insider noted, "No one wants this case over more than Angelina."

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Despite reports that the Maleficent star dictated Pitt's schedule with the kids, ET learned that neither parent had control over their children's schedules for the past four years amid the court battle. All scheduling was decided by the court during this time.

Prior to the mother of six's alleged attempt to deliberately delay the divorce proceedings in August — by trying to disqualify Judge Ouderkirk after finding out his past relationship with Pitt's legal team — the former flames appeared to be in a place where they were ready to co-parent. Pitt was spotted leaving Jolie's mansion back in June, which marked the first time he had been at her home since their split in 2016.

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"Brad and Angelina have come a very long way and they're finally in a place where they both want to work together to raise their kids. They have no plans to reconcile and any communication between them is regarding their children's needs and future," a source said at the time.

Pitt was spotted at Jolie's house multiple times in August before her attempt to remove Judge Ouderkirk. Their relationship then quickly turned sour. Pitt's lawyer responded to the Salt actress' failed attempt, saying it "reeked of bad faith and desperation."

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"Brad says Angelina has gone way too far this time...He’s left with no other option but to dig in and fight back — hard," a source told Us Weekly in August.

Pitt and Jolie tied the knot in 2014 and split two years later. They were declared legally single in August 2019 but their court battle is far from over. Despite the bitter feud, the father of six has happily moved on with 27-year-old German model Nicole Poturalski. The younger Jolie look-alike and the Ocean's Eleven actor previously enjoyed a romantic trip together to the former couple's french abode.

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While Jolie knows the 56-year-old is now happy with his new relationship, a source exclusively tells OK!, "Brad knows Angelina is grasping at straws trying to do whatever she can do to delay and distract. He fully expects her to make a fuss about his new relationship when they both head back to court in October. His new relationship is fun, but if he had to pick, his kids would win every single time."