In the ongoing divorce saga between actor Kevin Costner and his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner, the latest development sees Baumgartner challenging the $100,000 legal bill that Costner's legal team has presented. Baumgartner has accused Costner's lawyers of inflating the bill, according to exclusive reports from RadarOnline.
The divorce battle, which has been raging since May 1, 2023, when Baumgartner filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage, has been marked by a series of contentious issues. One of the main points of contention has been the couple's $145 million Carpinteria, California home. Baumgartner initially refused to vacate the property until Costner agreed to pay up to $248,000 a month in child support.
However, a Santa Barbara Superior Court judge ordered Baumgartner to leave the property by July 31 and mandated Costner to pay $129,000 a month in child support. Following this, Costner's legal team demanded that Baumgartner pay his $100,000 legal bill, citing a premarital agreement (PMA) that requires the spouse initiating a dispute to cover all legal costs.
Baumgartner, however, has hit back, accusing Costner's legal team, led by renowned attorney Laura Wasser and co-counsel Jacqueline Misho, of allegedly inflating the bill. In court documents, Baumgartner claimed that some of the charges were unreasonable and unrelated to her eviction from the home. She also alleged that parts of the billing line items were redacted, making it impossible for her legal team to verify the costs.
Baumgartner also took issue with the fact that Costner's legal team charged nearly $8,000 for two attorneys to drive to Santa Barbara for a hearing, despite the court's tentative decision being received the day before and the attorneys not participating in the hearing. She argued that the attorneys could have saved Costner nearly the entire amount by appearing via Zoom.
In comparison, Baumgartner's legal team spent $34,000 on the same legal skirmish, while Wasser and Misho are charging Costner nearly three times that amount. Baumgartner called the $100,000 charge for the legal skirmish "highly dubious."
Baumgartner also accused Misho of falsely claiming that she refused to negotiate a financial settlement to vacate the compound and of trying to leverage the $248,000 monthly support payment. Baumgartner provided the court with two letters from her attorney, John R. Rydell II, offering a lower child support payment.
The divorce battle between Costner and Baumgartner continues to unfold, with both sides seemingly digging in for a protracted legal fight. As the case proceeds, the question of legal fees and the validity of the charges levied by Costner's legal team will undoubtedly continue to be a contentious issue.