ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony initially claimed 2-year-old Caylee Marie was kidnapped by a baby-sitter named Zenaida. But at her murder trial, defense attorney Jose Baez claimed that was a lie and that the toddler drowned in the family pool.

Although a jury found her not guilty of murder earlier this month, the contradicting stories may cost her financially.

In the weeks since Baez delivered his stunning opening statement and told the jury — and the closely watching public — that Caylee was never missing but accidentally drowned, Anthony has been slapped with several civil lawsuits.

Texas EquuSearch, the group that launched extensive searches for Caylee in the summer of 2008, wants to recoup more than $100,000 it spent looking for the toddler.

A diver who volunteered his services to look for Caylee in a river at Jay Blanchard Park has filed another suit, claiming he relied on false information and expended significant time and money on the search.

And last week, there were more developments in the initial suit filed against Anthony — a defamation case brought by Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, a Kissimmee mother who claimed Anthony ruined her reputation.

Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, said the lawsuits raise an interesting question: When is a client bound by his or her lawyer’s opening statement? (Baez told jurors in Anthony’s murder trial that she fabricated the baby-sitter kidnapping story.)