Kevin Costner has strongly criticized his estranged wife’s unreasonable demand for him to pay an exorbitant amount of $885,000 for her legal fees. The actor, who is 68 years old, has been engaged in a bitter dispute with Christine Baumgartner, with whom he shares three children, since she filed for divorce in May. In response to her request, Costner’s team has argued that the amount she is asking for is completely outrageous.
Documents obtained by People magazine reveal that Christine has already received $405,000 in fees, which includes a $300,000 award for legal fees ($200,000 for attorney’s fees and $100,000 for forensic accounting fees) on July 12. She has also taken out $105,000 from Kevin’s accounts. Kevin’s team argues that, according to the Family Code, the court must assess the reasonableness of the fees already incurred and any future fees. Despite being wealthier, Kevin believes that Christine is capable of contributing to her own attorney’s fees.
The lawyers further argued that the amount Kevin has paid in fees should not be a determining factor in Christine’s costs, dismissing her argument as nonsensical. They stated that Kevin’s incurred expenses cannot be used as a basis for awarding Christine additional fees. They emphasized that Christine’s uncooperative conduct has forced Kevin to spend a significant amount on attorney’s fees and repeatedly seek relief through court. Her actions have not only increased her own fees but also Kevin’s. Therefore, using these fees to argue that Christine needs more money to level the playing field is illogical.
Last week, Judge Thomas Anderle ruled that Christine must pay over $14,000 in Kevin’s legal costs, which were accumulated while trying to clarify her understanding of their pre-nuptial agreement. The judge acknowledged that this is a significant case. In a previous ruling, Kevin’s proposed amount of child support was accepted, setting his monthly payments at $63,209, much lower than Christine’s request for $175,057.