Heather Mills gets £24m in McCartney divorce

**chris** · 17-03-2008

Heather Mills has been awarded a £24.3m divorce payout from Sir Paul McCartney, according to a court judgment released today.

She had sought £125m from the 60-year-old former Beatle, the judgment reveals, but received a fifth of that amount. McCartney had offered £15.8m.

The amounts were decided by a judge from the high court's family division after the pair failed to reach agreement during a week in court last month.

Mills, 40, who married McCartney in 2002, said outside the high court in London that she was "very, very, very pleased" at the sum eventually decided on.

However, in a long, sometimes rambling statement, Mills said she planned to launch an appeal tomorrow against a decision to make public Mr Justice Bennett's entire judgment, rather than just the summary released today.

Full details of the judgment have been withheld pending the appeal.

"I'm so glad it's over," an emotional Mills told reporters. "It was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and Beatrice's future and all the charities I plan on helping."

Mills said her appeal was necessary because McCartney had "insisted" the full judgment be released. She objected to this because the document included "private, secure matters" relating to the couple's daughter, Beatrice, aged four, including about her schooling.

McCartney made no comment today and his spokesman said he would not be saying anything about the ruling.

Mills, who represented herself in court last month, hit out at both the legal establishment and McCartney's own lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, who she claimed "called me many, many names".

"Obviously the court do not want a litigant in person to do well, it's against everything that they ever wish, so when they write the judgment up they're never going to make it look in favour," she said.

The judge ruled that McCartney should pay a lump sum of £16.5m and on top of that Mills should go away with assets of £7.8m including properties.

The lump sum comprises £14m for Mills's income needs – put by the judgment at £600,000 per year – and £2.5m to buy a property in London.

The settlement involves McCartney paying for Beatrice's nanny and school fees, as well as £35,000 a year directly for her.

Mills made it plain she thought this was a derisory sum. "Beatrice only gets £35,000 a year - so obviously she's meant to travel B class while her father travels A class, but obviously I will pay for that," she said.

Much of the court case apparently centred on significantly different estimates of McCartney's wealth. McCartney's lawyers reportedly spent a good deal of their time arguing he was not nearly as rich as claimed by Mills, who insisted today he was worth £800m.

The judge found that McCartney had wealth totalling around £400m, including business assets.

An appeal by Mills threatens to draw out what has been a messy and very public case.

When the couple announced their separation in 2006, they made a public commitment to sort out the matter amicably and without public fuss, particularly for the welfare of Beatrice.

"It's been suggested that she married me for the money and there is not an ounce of truth in this," McCartney said at the time.

A few months later, relations between the pair had descended into open warfare, much of it played out in newspaper pages. That October, a leaked court document laid out lurid claims about McCartney's alleged behaviour towards his wife during their marriage.

Other claims relayed in the media included that McCartney had changed the locks at their former marital home and frozen Mills's bank account.

While McCartney declined to comment publicly throughout the divorce process, Mills on occasions let the strain show. In October last year she broke down during an interview on GMTV and said she had been driven to the brink of suicide.

"I've had worse press than a paedophile or a murderer and I've done nothing but charity for 20 years," she said.

The highest divorce payout awarded by a British court to date has been £48m in 2006 to Beverley Charman, who was married for 28 years to the insurance magnate John Charman. The sum was based on the couple's total assets of £131m.

Lawyers say agreements as high as £100m have been reached privately.

**T_G** · 18-03-2008

Gold digger got lucky...She comes across as a very unpleasant woman.

**rolfw** · 18-03-2008

I agree, insincere, lying, calculating, self important, money grabbing, play acting bitch are all words which seem to sit quite comfortably.

**T_G** · 18-03-2008

I suspect after the verdict today she's going to get legless

**Channel Hopper** · 18-03-2008

Approximately £19k for every day she was tied to him.

**jimbo** · 18-03-2008

He's well rid and let's hope he's learned from it.

**Topper** · 18-03-2008

Originally Posted by T_G

I suspect after the verdict today she's going to get legless

Well of course she can afford to now, despite her coming across the way she does I think the judge managed to knock her down a peg or two. I'm sure she will enjoy hopping in one of her expensive cars everyday and driving from one property to another.

mondeo · 18-03-2008

The only sensible word that came from her is keep Pauls daughters details private ie: school, or she will have uncle pedo at the gates offering her sweets. she can now go back to her previous employment ,how much rubber protection can you buy for £24m

**T_G** · 18-03-2008

I don't think she has a leg to stand on with the stuff she's been saying about Paul. I can't believe he fell for her in the first place, he face would put me off immediately. I know she's supposed to be some sort of ex modle or beauty queen, but....baaah. Good riddance. I hope she meets some young guy who does the same to her.

***2cvbloke*** · 18-03-2008

Let's hope the appeal leaves her with even less of Paul's money, make her sell off her wooden leg to cover her "A" class travel expenses...

**hoppo1** · 18-03-2008

It seems the judge disliked her as much as everyone else does!!!
Where is she coming from with the daughter travelling "b class" She just got 24 million pounds, but that´s hers and hers alone is it?
I can´t stand the woman.

**PaulR** · 18-03-2008

Loathe as I am to badmouth anyone she does come across as a highly unpleasant person.

She's come out of it with more than she deserves.

Tell you what. If I were a lawyer I would be glad if she sacked me as her counsel. Imagine being associated with a judge's summing up like that!

**T_G** · 24-03-2008

Looks like she started to spend some of it already

**PaulR** · 26-03-2008

Did anyone else watch the programme on ITV last night about the divorce? She got a really good roasting - she must have made a few enemies there for them to go for the jugular like that.

**rolfw** · 27-03-2008

Yes, I bet that there is more to come as well, I'm sure others will come forward with stories of how they've been stiffed by her.

**T_G** · 27-03-2008

I don't know, she is completely unpleasant. She seems to be unable to distinguish fact from fantasy, maybe she has one of those modern syndroms or disorders.

But, if she wants to get one go for a big payday, she should do a new porno video. I bet that would sell a few copies but she has to hurry while she is still in the public view.

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