ANGELINA JOLIE and Brad Pitt have agreed to use a private judge to keep their divorce proceedings confidential.

    The Hollywood stars 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.”

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

    Private judges have become more popular in the United States in recent years. They are most often used by wealthier clients in family law cases, civil cases and breach of contract disputes.

    They have the same authority as public judges but the main advantages are that personal information remains private.

    Jolie cited “irreconcilable differences” when she filed for divorce Sept. 19.

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

    The couple had been married for two years, but together for more than a decade.

    (SD-Agencies)