Milwaukee archdiocese says bankruptcy fight has cost it $19M in legal, other fees so far

MILWAUKEE – The Archdiocese of Milwaukee says its bankruptcy case has cost more than $19 million so far.

The financial details were revealed in the archdiocese's reorganization plan filed late Wednesday night in federal bankruptcy court.

The plan proposes providing $4 million to compensate an estimated 125 victims of clergy sex abuse, less than a fourth of those who filed claims. That's the smallest per-victim payment yet offered by the 11 dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy in the past decade.

The plan must still be approved by a judge. The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

In all, the archdiocese says it has spent $6.9 million on its own attorneys. It estimated its creditors' attorney costs, which the archdiocese must pay, are nearly $12.5 million. Creditors include hundreds of abuse victims.