Angelina Jolie drops Pitt from surname

Angelina Jolie has officially dropped Brad Pitt's surname.

The former couple have been negotiating a bifurcated judgement, which allows the court to declare them as single while they continue to work on the terms of their divorce, and the 43-year-old beauty has taken measures to lose her marital name.

Documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court state: "Petitioner's former name is restored to Angelina Jolie."

This isn't the first time the 'Maleficent' star has been to court to alter her surname.

Following a long estrangement from her father, Jon Voight, Angelina submitted a petition to the court to have his last name dropped from hers and in 2002, she was granted the request to be officially known simply as Angelina Jolie.

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed Brad and Angelina - who have Maddox, 17, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox together - have found their "communication has improved tremendously" since they were declared officially single.

A source said: "Brad and Angelina have come a long way. To the surprise of many of their closest friends, their communication has improved tremendously and they're both dedicated to co-parenting. Their kids have a custody schedule and that's made a huge difference for the whole family. The schedule has alleviated any of the planning pressures Brad and Angelina have faced in the past. Now the kids spend time with both their parents and are happy and thriving."

It was revealed in December that the 55-year-old actor and his estranged wife had reached a custody agreement for their six children.

Samantha Bley DeJean, Angelina's attorney, said at the time: "A custody arrangement was agreed two weeks ago, and has been signed by both parties and the judge. The agreement, which is based on the recommendations of the child custody evaluator, eliminates the need for a trial. The filing and details of the agreement are confidential to protect the best interests of the children."

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