A judge ordered Wednesday that Kevin Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, must pay $14,237.50 in attorney fees.
Judge Thomas Anderle of the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County in California determined that Baumgartner was responsible for paying a portion of Costner’s divorce attorney fees which reflected interest that accrued while she was trying to obtain a broader understanding of their prenuptial agreement, according to People.
Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Christine Baumgartner is on a losing streak! https://t.co/TiMPxiB20L
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 7, 2023
Costner’s attorneys stated their position on the fees by arguing that “discovery is not a game of chicken” and that “Kevin should never have been required to spend money to file a motion,” per the outlet.
They also asked the court to compel Baumgartner to respond to questions they had posed, and said she “refuses to make known all of her contentions regarding the validity of the [Premarital Agreement],” People reported.
“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 lawyers said, according to People.
Costner’s legal team also argued that Baumgartner should have to pay the legal fees because she was the one who attempted to challenge the prenup. (RELATED: Kevin Costner’s Estranged Wife Says Luxury Lifestyle Is In Kids ‘DNA’ While Arguing For Increased Child Support)
“Kevin asserts that he should not have to pay fees and costs for Christine to challenge the validity of the PMA,” they said, per the outlet.
“He also regularly claims that the PMA is valid and that there is no evidence to the contrary. This is the legal equivalent of whistling past the graveyard,” they said, according to People.
Baumgartner has also been disputing the amount of child support she believes she is entitled to, claiming that she needs more money in order to maintain the lifestyle to which her children have become accustomed.