Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and the couple has been locked in a custody struggle that has mostly been hidden from the public eye.
John Ouderkirk, a private judge engaged to handle the case, decided in Mr. Pitt's favour. He awarded Brad Pitt as joint custody of children with Angelina Jolie. According to the Press Association, the verdict will "significantly increase" his time with the kids.
Pax 17, Zahara 16, Shiloh 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox are the children of Mr. Pitt, 57, and Ms. Jolie, 45. 19-year-old Maddox, the oldest child, is not affected by the custody ruling.
Ms. Jolie told Vogue last year that she left Mr. Pitt for her family's "well-being."
"It was the right decision," Ms Jolie said. "I continue to focus on their healing."
In a 2017 exclusive interview, Mr. Pitt discussed his intention to stop drinking and smoking marijuana.
He said, "For me every misstep has been a step toward epiphany, understanding, some kind of joy".