Kevin Costner Calls Ex Christine’s Request for Him to Cover ‘Whopping’ $885K in Legal Fees ‘Nonsensical’
"Although Kevin is the wealthier party ... Christine is quite capable of contributing to her own attorneys' fees," read the actor's latest filing
Kevin Costner is contesting his estranged wife Christine’s request that he pay a “whopping” $885,000 toward her legal fees.
In a court document obtained by PEOPLE — filed Monday in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara — the 68-year-old Oscar winner’s legal team argues the amount requested by Christine, 49, is “unreasonable” and “nothing short of outrageous.”
The filing claims Christine has already received “$405,000 in fees, including an award of $300,000 in legal fees ($200,000 in attorney’s fees and $100,000 in forensic accounting fees) on July 12” and “remov(ed) $105,000 for fees from Kevin’s accounts.”
According to Kevin’s filing, “the Family Code requires the Court to assess whether the fees incurred and prospective fees are reasonably necessary.”
“Although Kevin is the wealthier party with a higher cash flow than Christine, Christine is quite capable of contributing to her own attorneys’ fees,” the document states.
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Earlier in the filing, Kevin’s legal team claims that “Christine’s argument that Kevin has incurred more in fees than she was awarded and what she took from his accounts is not, standing alone, a valid basis for an award of additional fees to her.”
“The amount Kevin has incurred cannot be the talisman of how much Christine should be awarded in fees,” the document reads.
It also alleges the Yellowstone actor “has been forced to spend substantial attorney’s fees as a result of Christine’s uncooperative conduct,” noting that Kevin “has had to repeatedly go to court to (successfully) obtain relief.”
“Christine’s actions increased the fees incurred by not only Christine, but also Kevin,” Kevin’s filing states. “To use these fees as the basis for an argument that Christine needs more to level the playing field is nonsensical.”
An attorney for Christine did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Last week, Judge Thomas Anderle ruled Christine must cover over $14,000 of Kevin’s legal costs that he said he accrued while trying to obtain answers about her understanding of their prenuptial agreement (PMA).
During the ruling, Judge Anderle emphasized that this is “certainly a case of consequence.”
In a request for order filed in California Superior Court last month, attorneys for Kevin asked the court to compel Christine to respond to their questions, claiming she “refuses to make known all of her contentions regarding the validity of the PMA.”
The documents filed by the actor’s attorneys continued, “The objections she has mustered in an effort to not disclose her contentions are frivolous. She says she does not understand words like ‘understood’ or ‘negotiation,’ so she cannot answer this discovery.”
The filing specified the legal fees totaled $14,237.50, further stating, “Discovery is not a game of chicken. Kevin should never have been required to spend money to file a motion.”