Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach temporary custody agreement as legal battle continues

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a temporary custody agreement, it has been reported. According to media reports in the US, the custody deal, which will be in place for three weeks, will allow the actor to visit his six children.

Sources told the Associated Press that, according to the terms of the agreement, Pitt will have to undergo drug and alcohol tests prior to being reunited with his children.

The actor's first visit with his children will also be monitored by a therapist, however, the presence of the therapist might not be a requirement for future visits.

Sources revealed that both actors have agreed to undergo individual counselling. The temporary agreement has not been filed with the court, and Pitt has not responded to the case, Sky News reports.

Jolie filed for divorce on 19 September, citing "the health of the family" as the reason for the split that sparked headlines around the world. The Maleficent star requested sole physical custody of the couple's six children, who are aged from eight to 15.

It was alleged that the Hollywood couple's relationship came to a head following a drunken row aboard a plane, during which it was claimed their eldest son Maddox, 15, was struck, after he attempted to intervene between his quarrelling parents.

While a friend of the 52-year-old star has claimed that the allegations have been "exaggerated and fabricated" as part of a smear campaign against him, it was reported that the alleged incident would be investigated by the FBI, the LA County Department of Children and Family Services.

Shortly after the split announcement, a police car was seen arriving at the Jolie-Pitt compound in the Hollywood Hills, where Pitt is believed to be staying. Jolie and the children have moved into a rental home in Malibu and the actor has allegedly been denied contact with his chidlren since the split.

The A list couple met while shooting Mr and Mrs Smith, when Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. After ten years together, they married in 2014, however in recent years the relationship was said to be increasingly tumultuous and marred by jealousy.

Since the reports of their impending divorce, the World War Z actor has been maintaining a low profile. On Wednesday (28 September) Pitt skipped the premiere of Terrence Malick's new documentary Voyage Of Time: The IMAX Experience, which he narrated.

In a statement, he said he was missing the event because he was "currently focused on my family situation and don't want to distract attention away from this extraordinary film".

According to TMZ Pitt faces a bitter legal battle with his estranged wife as he seeks joint custody of the couple's children Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins eight-year-old Knox and Vivienne Pitt.

Pitt will be represented by attorney Lance Speigel, whose clients include Michael Jackson, Charlie Sheen and Eva Longeria. Jolie's legal team consists of well-known divorce lawyers Robert Offer and Laura Wasser, who recently represented Johnny Depp in his divorce settlement with actress Amber Heard.