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Signing Off

Originally posted Thursday March 31, 2005 12:00 PM EST

Feb. 4: Aniston enlisted the help of some friends, including Courteney Cox and baby Coco (right), while searching for a new home. She ended up renting a place near Cox in Malibu – and Pitt has also been looking for a place near thebeach. Photo by: Fame

Of course, once the decision to divorce was made, Good Friday is an excellent day to drop news into the media pond and hope to reduce the ripples. Aniston may have been the one to file simply to get the ball rolling, according to lawyer Soodik. "It can be like they'll ask each other, 'Who's going to file? Oh, I'll do it.' "

They certainly had ample time together to discuss their options. After the separation announcement, the two sometimes stayed together at their Beverly Hills home, though each also decamped to hotels and other digs for stretches.

On Feb. 12 they threw open their home to celebrate Aniston's birthday party with guests such as Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and Cindy Crawford. During Oscar weekend in February, they showed up separately at a party hosted by CAA agent Bryan Lourd, hung out together (even as Pitt chatted with ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow and cooed over photos of her baby Apple), then left separately.

Next night, same deal at an industry benefit. They stood in a corner with each other and Cox and her husband, David Arquette, Jamie Foxx and Sean Combs. A friend later said that Aniston's pleasure that weekend was genuine – but a reunion? No, said the friend, not in the cards.