AceShowbiz -

The legal battle between Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels is taking an ugly turn. Just one day after her ex-wife demanded a raise in spousal and child support, the "I'm the Only One' singer fired back by filing her own court documents in which she calls her ex-wife "angry and vindictive."

Offering proof of Michaels' nastiness, Etheridge included an e-mail sent by the former "Popular" actress. "Children should really be placed first, Melissa, I encourage you to try it this time around with these two of your children," the letter read. "You know, Melissa, that I did not give birth to these two children to give them away to your various staff members and girlfriends to raise."

In the e-mail, Michaels allegedly also told Etheridge, "You have to support so many households because you BROKE SO MANY HOUSEHOLDS, silly. If you had decided to have one ounce of integrity/honesty as a person or partner, you would NOT be in this predicament. Think about it."

Aside from that, Etheridge also accused Michaels of accidentally burning son Miller Steven with a cigarette. Therefore, she is asking a judge to install a smoking ban for both Michaels and herself whenever they are around their twins. "The children have allergies and I am concerned about their exposure to second-hand smoke," she added.

In her custody-related documents, the two-time Grammy winner additionally requests for more time with the kids since she believes Michaels is against an equal custody deal. On the reason behind the thought, the "Come to My Window" crooner said that her ex has accused her of not having the "maternal instinct". A hearing is set for May 22.

Michaels herself filed a settlement conference brief on Monday. In it, she claimed she needs more than the $23,000 per month to live on because she grew accustomed to living at over $128,000 a month during her long-term relationship with Etheridge, and now "has limited income and virtually no savings."