- Kevin Costner called his soon-to-be ex's ask for $885,000 in legal fees "nothing short of outrageous."
- His lawyers estimated the fee would pay for 1,106 hours of work at a rate of $800 an hour.
Lawyers for Kevin Costner have balked at his soon-to-be ex-wife's request for $885,000 in legal fees, calling the bill "nothing short of outrageous."
On Monday, Costner's lawyer Parima Pandkhou filed a response to Christine Baumgartner's request for the "Yellowstone" star to pay more money toward her attorneys and expert witnesses for their upcoming trial, noting the actor has already handed over $300,000 in legal fees to her in July.
Now, Baumgartner is back asking for $575,000 in attorney fees and $280,000 in expert costs, Pandkhou said.
"When the numbers are so large, it is easy to lose perspective of the actual value of these numbers," she wrote. "To demonstrate the practical value of Christine's requested award: $885,000 pays for 1,106 hours of attorney time at a rate of $800/hour."
All that's left to prepare for before their divorce trial — expected in November or December — is whether the spousal support waiver in the couple's premarital agreement is valid and enforceable, Pandkhou said. That shouldn't cost this much, she argued.
Baumgartner has argued in her request that Costner has spent more on legal fees than she's been awarded, but his lawyers say that's only because of her own behavior.
"The amount Kevin has incurred cannot be the talisman of how much Christine should be awarded in fees. That is because Kevin has been forced to spend substantial attorney's fees as a result of Christine's uncooperative conduct," Pandkhou wrote.
Baumgartner turned simple issues into contentious legal battles — including Costner's effort to get her to leave his home and having to get an official ruling to prevent her from taking his belongings from the property, Pandkhou wrote.
Pandkhou said that much of the attorneys fees raked up in this case are of Baumgartner's own doing, and not reasonably necessary.
Baumgartner filed for divorce from the "Yellowstone" actor in May, citing "irreconcilable differences" and the divorce has become increasingly contentious.
The premarital agreement that the couple signed when they were married in 2004 has been at the heart of the divorce.
In July, a Santa Barbara county judge ordered Baumgartner to move out of the former couple's beachfront property, but she only moved to a smaller house on the compound. She has since moved into another property that rents for $40,000 a month, according to People.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled that Costner must pay Baumgartner $63,000 a month in child support, and pay for all of their three kids' schooling, health care and extracurricular activities.