Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have decided to use a private judge to keep their divorce proceedings confidential.

They released a joint statement saying they would keep all divorce documents and proceedings under seal in order to “preserve the privacy rights of their children and family”.

The statement says: “The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification.”

In recent years, private judges have become more popular in the United States.

They are most often used by wealthier clients in family law cases, civil cases and breach of contract disputes.

Private judges have the same authority as public judges but the main advantages are that personal information remains private, as meetings and hearings are held outside of the public court system, the process is often quicker and you can select your own judge and schedule court dates to suit your schedules.

Angelina Jolie cited “irreconcilable differences” when she filed to end the marriage in September.

In November, court papers revealed Brad Pitt was seeking joint custody of his six children in his split from Angelina Jolie. The actress had previously asked for full custody of all the children.

In the same month, an investigation into whether Brad Pitt was abusive towards his son in September ended with no finding of wrongdoing. Social workers in LA had been examining claims Brad Pitt hit his 15-year-old son Maddox on a private jet.

Angelina Jolie filed for divorce the day after the incident. They had been married for two years, but together for more than a decade.