Angelina Jolie Ditches Divorce Lawyer in Midst of Brad Pitt Split

As her divorce proceedings continue in court, Angelina Jolie and divorce attorney Laura Wasser have gone their separate ways as Jolie transitions to new counsel.

“Angelina has decided to change counsel to Samantha Bley Dejean, as Samantha’s expertise is the protection and best interest of children,” Jolie’s spokesperson, Mindy Nyby, told PEOPLE on Monday. “Angelina appreciates Laura’s cooperation in transitioning the case of the past several weeks.”

A source close to Jolie and Pitt’s custody battle over their six kids told the magazine that “Angelina decided to put Samantha in charge of her case,” adding that “She put her in the lead a month ago, and over the past month, the case has been fully transitioned to Samantha.”

“She has come to rely on Samantha’s counsel and thought it best that she take the lead,” the insider added.

Bley Dejean has made multiple statements on Jolie’s behalf, especially during the last month while her and Pitt’s custody battle has been in the headlines.

The report of Jolie’s new legal team comes weeks after Nyby denied a report from TMZ saying Wasser was quitting. At the time, TMZ reported that Wasser was going to quit because Jolie and Pitt’s divorce proceedings had gotten “too venomous.”

However, a source told Entertainment Tonight that TMZ‘s source may have misinterpreted facts regarding the case, as new experts had been brought in. “It’s very commonplace,” the source told ET. “It’s a normal thing to happen as cases move forward.”

Jolie and Pitt are in the middle of a contentious custody battle over their six children: Maddox, 17, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and 10-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

“Angelina remains focused on healing her family,” the source told PEOPLE on Monday. “She continues to support the reconciliation of the children with Brad.”

Jolie and Pitt reportedly reached a temporary agreement last week, although details on the deal were not immediately available.

The children spent much of the summer with Jolie in London, where she filmed Maleficient 2, but they normally live in Los Angeles, which is where Pitt also lives. In June, a judge established a detailed schedule for Pitt to spend time with the kids, except for Maddox, who the court ruled is old enough to decide for himself how much time he wants to spend with his dad.

Pitt spent his court-ordered time with the kids in London and Los Angeles where he films Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Charles Manson-themed movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Jolie and Pitt split in 2016, after two years of marriage and 12 years together, citing irreconcilable differences. They first met in 2003 on the set of their 2005 thriller Mr. & Mrs. Smith and began publicly dating a few years later.