AceShowbiz - An attorney for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter, Shiloh, recently spoke out about her decision to drop "Pitt" from her last name. Shiloh filed for the name change on May 27, marking her 18th birthday, and a legal notice in the Los Angeles Times announced the change shortly afterward.

In a recent statement, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt's attorney, Peter Levine, highlighted the significance of her decision and the legal processes involved. "The media should be more careful in their reporting," Levine said, stressing the independent nature of Shiloh's decision following "painful events."

He clarified, "Shiloh Jolie did not take out an 'ad' announcing any name change, and any press reporting that is inaccurate. As Shiloh's attorney, I am required to publish a legal notice because the law in California requires that of anyone who wants to change their name. That legal notice was published in the Los Angeles Times, as is required."

Echoing Levine's comments, family law attorney David Glass explained to PEOPLE that such public name change announcements are mandatory for the process to move forward. Glass stated, "She has to file a formal petition with the court to change her name. And she has to run an ad 4 weeks in a row before the hearing is scheduled, in addition to giving both of her parents written notification."

He added that these petitions generally run smoothly unless criminal history or legal evasion is involved, which is not the case for Shiloh.

Referring to Brad Pitt who accused Angelina Jolie of influencing their kids' decision to stay away from him, the lawyer said, "Brad could come to court and say, for example, that Shiloh has been alienated against him by the mother. … But because she is no longer a minor, she can essentially call herself whatever she wants."

Shiloh's name change comes in the context of strained family ties. A source revealed to PEOPLE that Brad Pitt, now 60, has "virtually no contact" with his adult children since his split from Jolie in 2016, though he maintains visitation with his younger kids.

"He has virtually no contact with the adult kids. His engagement with the younger kids is more limited in recent months because of his filming schedule," the insider said, emphasizing that Jolie has the children most of the time.

Following Shiloh's filing, a source indicated that Pitt is "aware and upset" by the name change, revealing that, "The reminders that he's lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It's very sad," the source added, noting that while Pitt is happy with his partner Ines de Ramon, the distance from his children "pains him."

Despite the emotional hurdles, a separate source close to Pitt confirmed his enduring love for all his kids, stating, "He still loves all of his kids tremendously. This whole process has been very hard for the whole family."

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' only daughter Suri Cruise is another celebrity offspring who decided to cut ties with her famous father following her parents' divorce. She chose to drop Tom's surname at her high school graduation where he was a no-show.