Halle Berry's Ex Olivier Martinez Demands $240K In Legal Fees

The legal bills are piling up in Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez's custody dispute, and the French actor wants his ex-wife to pick up the tab. He's asking a Los Angeles judge to order Berry to pay $240,000 toward his attorney fees, arguing that he no longer has the financial resources to cover the expenses himself. His request arrives less than a week after the former spouses received a mixed ruling concerning custody of their 13-year-old son, Maceo.

The amount includes $176,522.58 in outstanding legal fees and another $63,477.42 for anticipated expenses. Court documents obtained by TMZ show that Martinez claims to receive an average of just $776.34 per month in acting residuals, while his estimated monthly expenses total $17,555.99. He also reported approximately $43,206 in various financial accounts. Those figures support his argument that he can't afford to continue paying for the litigation, although the residual payments don't necessarily represent his entire income.

Martinez maintains that Berry is in a considerably stronger financial position. In his filing, he pointed to her continued acting career while claiming he hasn't secured a role in years. He wants the court to consider that disparity when determining who should shoulder the costs of their custody proceedings. A judge hasn't ruled on the $240,000 request, and it's unclear whether Berry has formally responded.

The financial demand follows an Oct. 29 decision that left both parents with something to contest. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelley L. Kaufman dissolved a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Berry and denied Martinez's request to make it permanent. However, the judge allowed Martinez to retain primary physical custody of Maceo under a temporary arrangement. Berry, who had sought to restore their previous 50/50 schedule, remains restricted to designated daytime visits without overnight stays. The parents continue to share legal custody.

Their dispute escalated after Martinez accused Berry of physically abusing Maceo during a September 26 disagreement involving a virtual reality game. He alleged that she grabbed their son by the neck and choked him, accusations Berry has firmly denied. She described the incident as playful wrestling that escalated and accused Martinez of misrepresenting what happened. Maceo subsequently testified privately during the proceedings, with both parents excluded from the courtroom.

The custody ruling also requires Berry and Maceo to participate in 12 joint therapy sessions over six months, the Los Angeles Times detailed. A hearing to appoint a therapist was scheduled for Nov. 4, while the court is expected to reconsider the temporary custody arrangement later this month. Martinez's request for legal fees adds another financial dispute as the former couple continues to argue over how their son's care should be handled.