Olivier Martinez is asking a judge to order his ex-wife, Halle Berry, to pay $240,000 in legal fees connected to their ongoing custody dispute over their 13-year-old son, Maceo.
In court documents obtained by TMZ, Martinez claims he can no longer afford the costs of the legal battle. He is asking Berry to cover both his unpaid bills and anticipated future expenses related to the case.
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According to his income and expense declaration, Martinez earns an average of just $776.34 per month in residual payments. He says he currently owes $176,522.58 in unpaid legal fees and is seeking an additional $63,477.42 to cover future litigation costs. Martinez also reported estimated monthly expenses of $17,555.99, along with $43,206.22 held across various accounts. His filing argues that Berry has greater financial resources and should be required to contribute to his legal expenses.
The request comes amid a bitter custody dispute that has resulted in several recent court hearings and changes to the former couple’s parenting arrangement.
A judge recently dissolved a temporary domestic violence restraining order involving Berry. However, the court declined to restore the couple’s previous 50/50 custody agreement.
Martinez currently has primary physical custody of Maceo, while Berry retains joint legal custody.
She also has tie-breaking authority when the parents disagree over important decisions involving their son. The judge reportedly barred Berry from having overnight visits with Maceo but rejected Martinez’s request to further limit her time with him during the holidays. The court is expected to reconsider custody-related issues in November.
The dispute escalated after Martinez accused Berry of physically abusing Maceo, including allegedly choking him during an incident at Berry’s home. Berry has repeatedly denied the allegations and said she never placed her hands around her son’s neck or restricted his breathing.
Berry described the confrontation as an argument that began after she asked Maceo to stop playing a virtual reality game. She said the situation turned into playful roughhousing before escalating, and that Maceo became upset and pushed her.
Berry’s fiancé, Van Hunt, reportedly intervened during the confrontation. Berry later contacted Martinez and asked him to reinforce boundaries with their son.
The former couple also disagreed over whether Maceo should testify in court. Berry attempted to prevent her son from testifying, arguing that Martinez had coached him. Maceo ultimately testified privately, behind closed doors, while both parents were ordered to leave the courtroom during his testimony.
Martinez’s attorney, Patrick Baghdaserians, described the decision awarding Martinez primary physical custody as a “huge victory.” Berry’s representatives, however, emphasized that she continues to share legal custody and retains tie-breaking authority in parental disagreements.
The legal-fee request is now another issue for the court to consider as the custody case continues. If granted, Berry could be ordered to pay Martinez’s outstanding legal bills as well as some of the expenses he expects to incur during future proceedings.
The court has not yet ruled on Martinez’s request. The custody arrangements and financial issues could be revisited during the court’s expected review in November.