Now that the dust has settled on the “contentious” and “acrimonious” battle over how much Kevin Costner should pay his estranged wife in child support, the judge is explaining why he sided with the actor and not Christine Baumgartner.
According to court documents obtained by ET, Santa Barbara County Judge Thomas P. Anderle on Tuesday released a 17-page summary of the child support case and the reasons behind his conclusions that ultimately gave the Yellowstone star a huge victory, after the court ordered his monthly child support payments be drastically reduced — from $129,000 per month to $63,209.
Costner and Baumgartner share three children — sons Cayden, 16, and Hayes, 14, and daughter Grace, 13. Baumgartner filed for divorce in May after 18 years of marriage.
During a two-day hearing last week — which the judge referred to as “contentious; acrimonious at times” — Baumgartner testified as to why the monthly child support figure should be increased to $161,000 per month, explaining it was important for the children to have a “comparable lifestyle” to the one they enjoyed when she and Costner were still a couple.
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