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Contrary to the mass of reports claiming Paul McCartney and his ex-wife Heather Mills had reached an agreement, a judge is yet to set the terms of their divorce.
It might have seemed pretty hard to believe that Mills had walked away from Friday’s court hearing with a hefty $108 million settlement after only 4 years of marriage, but the media rushed to spread the word. However, following today’s court hearing, it appears that the former couple failed to agree on a divorce settlement after six days in court, leaving the task to a judge.
It now seems that their highly publicized divorce will drag for another month, as Judge Hugh Bennett will take his time in deciding what could become an important legal precedent for future short-lived marriages of the super-rich.
Outside the court, McCartney's lawyer Nicholas Mostyn told reporters that judge had reserved his ruling and would now spend several weeks working out a settlement. If either side will be dissatisfied, they will take the judgment to a court of appeals, where all their dirty laundry and financial records will be made public knowledge.
However, since the hearings in the McCartney-Mills case took place behind closed door, it is unclear whether the judge's decision will be made public.
McCartney, who is said to be worth $1.6 billion overall, reportedly offered Mills around $50 million dollars, while Heather is rumored to have asked for an estimated $100 million. According to Denise Lester, a British divorce lawyer, Mills could be awarded upwards of $160 million, while the Mills-McCartney divorce could be “the largest divorce settlement in British legal history.”
The last round of drama began last week when Mills represented herself in court after dispensing with her legal team, although she was helped by a professional legal adviser. Mostyn put McCartney's side of the argument, and today it was Mills' turn to reply to any points he made before the judge reserved his ruling.
According to reports, the 40-year-old former model is expected to leave England once the whole thing is over. Her father said she is considering France or the US.
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