Laura Wasser: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

News broke that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are going separate ways on Tuesday. TMZ reports that Jolie is filing for divorce from Pitt.

The two married in 2014, and have been together since 2004. TMZ reports that Jolie is seeking physical custody of the couple’s six children. Jolie’s decision to file was related to Pitt’s parenting methods, according to TMZ who cites unnamed sources close to the couple.

The article also states that Jolie has retained lawyer Laura Wasser, who is one of the most high-powered celebrity divorce attorneys.

Here’s more about Wasser:

---

1. She Is a Partner at Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles

Wasser, 48, is a partner at the Los Angeles family law firm Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. The firm was started by her father, Dennis Wasser, in 1976 and specializes in high-profile divorces.

The firm has built a reputation for helping multimillionaires, athletes, and celebrities get married or divorced. In fact, Dennis Wasser was described as “America’s most feared divorce lawyer” by The Mirror in 2004.

She joined the firm in 1995, at 26, upon graduating from Loyola Law School.

Her father represents people like Billie Jean King, Mia Farrow, Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, and Clint Eastwood.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Laura and Dennis Wasser even consulted on “Liar, Liar,” a comedy starring Jim Carrey as a divorce lawyer.

---

2. She Has Represented Celebrities Including, Johnny Depp, Kim Kardashian, & Stevie Wonder

It’s no surprise that Jolie retained Wasser. The 41-year-old movie star worked with Wasser when she filed to divorce Billy Bob Thornton.

Jolie was eager to expand their family as soon as they adopted Maddox in March 2002, which reportedly caused trouble for their marriage. Jolie and Thornton divorced in 2003. Brad Pitt went on to adopt the child when he and the actress formed a a relationship.

Pitt and Jolie have six children together– three of whom were adopted. Jolie has said that she doesn’t want joint physical custody of the children with Pitt– just joint legal custody, according to TMZ.

Wasser’s impressive list of clients includes Denise Richards (Charlie Sheen), Nick Lachey (Jessica Simpson), Stevie Wonder (twice), Maria Shriver (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Johnny Depp (Amber Heard), Kim Kardashian (Kris Humphries), and Jennifer Garner (Ben Affleck).

---

3. She Charges $850 Per Hour

“Everyone knows Laura,” L.A. family law attorney Atousa Saei told People. “She is the celebrity of celebrity divorce attorneys. She has a very cool and calm demeanor.”

That demeanor will cost you. Wasser charges $850 an hour, requires a $25,000 retainer, and rarely represents people who have less than $10 million, according to Bloomberg.

Wasser has a reputation for being tough, which is why celebrity tabloid website TMZ has nicknamed her the Disso Queen.

---

4. Wasser’s First Divorce Case Was Her Own

Wasser wasn’t always necessarily set on being a divorce lawyer. However, her own divorce inspired her.

“For a minute, I worked at the Western Law Center for disability rights, writing up briefs to put safety things in public bathrooms,” she told Dame Magazine in 2012. “But then I split up with my husband, and I needed to make a living. So I told my dad, ‘I don’t think it’s going to work out’. And he said, ‘Great, take care of it.’ That was my first case.”

Wasser involves a lot of strategy in her approach to handing divorce cases, including clients announcing at the same time, to split press coverage.

“I’ll tell my clients, ‘I have someone else, I can’t say who, but you should really wait and file at the same time,’ ” she told Bloomberg Businessweek.

---

5. She Has Two Children, But Is Not Married

Wasser has two sons to two different fathers who she never married. She shares parenting with both.

“But it works, you know?” she told Dame Magazine. “The two baby daddies are my family, and their families are my family. And there’s the family I grew up with – I have a brother, my parents who all live here…my cup runneth over.”

Wasser’s advice for women who are the main earners in their marriage is to get a pre-nup.

She explained to Dame Magazine:

Get a pre-nup. Have a frank discussion about people’s responsibilities. A lot of women say, “I don’t understand – I’m making all the money, but I’m also responsible for the kids, overseeing the nanny, the homework, scheduling the housekeeper … I’m doing everything!” But it’s not because they married a bad guy. It could be because they’re control freaks, which is why they’re the primary breadwinners in the first place. Or because they have now enabled their spouse so much that he’s like, “This is a great gig. I’m never going back to work. And I’m really good at golf.”