Madonna and Guy Ritchie have been under a microscope for a long time now, with naysayers eagerly waiting for their marriage to start to dissolve. Rumors have reached a new level though, with Madonna reportedly consulting a divorce lawyer.

The Times of London is reporting that pop star Madonna is seeking legal advice to end her marriage of seven years to British film director Guy Ritchie.

Not only that, but the paper has names as well. Madonna is reportedly discussing the matter with divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton, who represented Paul McCartney in his intensely publicized divorce from model Heather Mills, as well as Princess Diana in her divorce from Prince Charles.

Ritchie in turn has sought the help of Forsters, a lesser-known London law firm, per the Times.

This must be the most concrete reports regarding troubles in the Madonna-Ritchie household have ever been, complete with details such as lawyers contacted and the fact, reported by the Times, that the couple does not have a prenuptial agreement. For those interested and unaware, this means a possible 50-50 split of assets, with the pop goddess’s wealth estimated at a cool $600 million.

Madonna and Ritchie have been closely watched over the past several months, so much so that repeated public appearances form the Material Mom sans her hubby led many to speculate that the relationship was thinning.

In mid-March, Madonna reacted to the growing whirl of speculation, through a statement issued by her publicist Liz Rosenberg, which curtly said, “Mr. and Mrs. Guy Ritchie remain happily married.”

The statement went on to explain that the two spouses had been busy with conflicting schedules, each living in separate countries, each focusing on their own projects.

Madonna had been busy promoting “Hard Candy” in the U. S., while Ritchie had been finishing postproduction on his new film “RocknRolla” in the U. K., filming a Nike commercial and “working on several scripts.”

“All is well and wonderful in the Ritchie household,” the statement somehow ironically concluded.

Should the rumors be true, it is the more tragic as the couple’s adoption of David Banda, the little Malawi boy who has been living with the pop singer, her husband and their two children Lola and Rocco, since late 2006, was made official.

In late May, the adoption was approved by a judge in Malawi and Madonna and husband were deemed “perfect parents.”