The recent details regarding the custody agreement between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bring the issue of divorce agreements and privacy to the forefront. When you hear the phrase “their divorce papers were sealed,” one might believe the information is private. But it takes all parties of the agreement to keep the information quiet.

Private divorces are not only for celebrities or public figures. In reality, private divorces happen among “ordinary people” more often than you may think. (Of course, not as often as the parties involved would like.) But requesting that a divorce settlement agreement stay private is more than just a simple question to the court. It’s a process. And the parties involved don’t always get what they want.