McCartney divorce/48 million

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McCartney divorce costs Beatle $48.7 million

LONDON (Reuters) - A British court ordered former Beatle Paul McCartney on Monday to pay his estranged wife Heather Mills 24.3 million pounds ($48.7 million) after an acrimonious divorce battle.

The settlement was a fifth of the sum that she had sought but she still ended up with the equivalent of $1,400 an hour for her four-year marriage to the pop icon.

Speaking after the judge's ruling, Mills said: "I am so glad it is over. It is an incredible result in the end.

"We are very, very pleased," she added. "I am so, so happy with it." McCartney declined to comment.

McCartney, 65, married the former model and charity campaigner Mills, 40, in 2002 but they separated four years later, blaming media intrusion into their private lives. They have a daughter, Beatrice, aged four.

Mills criticized McCartney's lawyer Fiona Shackleton, accusing her of handling the case badly and of calling her names.

She said Shackleton, who also represented heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles in his divorce from Princess Diana, "has called me many, many names before even meeting me when I was in a wheelchair."

Mills, who sacked her lawyer and represented herself in court, urged would-be divorcees to do the same thing. "You can be a litigating person," she said. "You'd save yourself a fortune."

Justice Hugh Bennett, giving details of the settlement, said: "She sought an award of almost 125 million pounds. Sir Paul proposed the wife should exit the marriage with assets of 15.8 million pounds inclusive of any lump sum award.

"The judgment decided that the husband should pay the wife a lump sum of 16.5 million pounds, which together with her assets of 7.8 million pounds means that she exits her marriage with total assets of 24.3 million pounds."

DAUGHTER

The court ruled that the judgment be made public, but stayed publication pending Mills' appeal against it being made public.

Mills, speaking to a phalanx of reporters on the steps of London's High Court, said she was appealing "because the judgment involves private secure matters of my daughter ... everything about her is in there."

"I really hope now that me and my daughter can have a life and not be followed every single day," said Mills, who has constantly complained of harassment by paparazzi.

Asked if she now planned to move abroad, Mills said: "I can't leave England. I always wanted to keep my daughter near her father. Believe me if I tried to go, he would have an injunction on me in a second."

The split was fought out under a remorseless media spotlight with McCartney, a founder of the world's most famous pop group, pitted against the outspoken Mills, target of lurid tales in the press about her colorful past.

She hit back, saying she was driven to the brink of suicide because the media branded her a "whore" and "gold-digger."

So did she get enough money,for me he should have had the Pre-Nup,way to much money for heather,just take care of the daughter.

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Heather Mills launches astonishing court rant after winning £24.3m divorce payout

Heather Mills this afternoon announced that she has accepted a £24.3million divorce deal before launching an attack on Sir Paul McCartney, his lawyers and the legal system.

Ms Mills, 40, speaking on the steps of the High Court, said she was hitting out after the judge in the case ruled that details of the divorce should be made public.

It emerged that she had sought nearly £125million and that McCartney had offered her £15.8million.

Heather Mills launched an astonishing tirade after securing £24.3 million in her divorce settlement in London today

Ms Mills said she was “very, very happy” with the settlement and a summary of the judgment was published today.

Thumbs up: Ms Mills leaving court today
But the former model will appeal against Mr Justice Bennett's plans to release it in full at a further hearing tomorrow.

Launching a non-stop stream of criticism, Ms Mills raged against Sir Paul, the judge and McCartney's lawyer Fiona Shackleton.

She said: “Fiona Shackleton has very sadly handled this case in the worst manner you could ever imagine. She has called me many, many names before meeting me when I was in a wheelchair.”

Ms Mills also launched an angry outburst against her husband's victory on where their daughter would live and how much she would get each year.

“Beatrice gets £35,000 a year. She is meant to travel B-class when her father travels A-class.

“Paul has always wanted Beatrice to go to a state school. He insisted that he wanted us to move to that area [East Sussex] - £35,000 includes. £17,000 for school fees.”

“He tried to get our daughter with joint residency, even though we had gone 50-50. In that way he has got everything he wanted, but that's what powerful people get.”

Ms Mills complained about the judge's assessment of her husband's wealth.

“He also said that Paul is only worth £400 million. Everyone knows that he has been worth £800 million for the last 15 years.

"Paul has always wanted it public because he wants to look like generous Sir Paul."

“I was locked out of every home. I really hope now that me and my daughter can have a life and not be followed every day. Apart from one television thing I have stayed quiet for 21 months. If the judgment had been kept private I would not be out here speaking.”

She added: “I can't leave England. Believe me if I tried to go he'd have an injunction on me in a second.”

Describing herself as a "campaigning girl" she called on people to represent themselves in court but urged couples to do their best to resolve their problems immediately.

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Jubilant: Ms Mills celebrates her victory with her sister Fiona

The former model addressed the media on the steps of London's High Court today
She said: "I'm so glad it's over, it was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter's future and that of all the charities that I obviously plan on helping and making a difference with - because you know it has been my life for 20 years.

"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.

"But all of you that have researched know that it was always going to be a figure between £20 and £30 million, Paul was offering a lot less than that, which you'll see in the judgment, and very much last minute to put me and Beatrice sadly through this ... incredibly sad."

Sir Paul McCartney simply said 'thank-you' as he left the court this afternoon
Asked if she thought Sir Paul had been "cruel", she said: "I can't say that for the sake of my daughter but my sister does."

She added: "I'm going to go and be with my daughter because I took so much time away from her."

Paying tribute to her sister's support, she added: "Every time I look at her, I want to cry."

Sir Paul left the court quickly, saying simply "thank-you" as he waved to the cameras.

The judge decided Sir Paul should pay a lump sum of £16.5million together with her assets of £7.8million including her homes.

Judgement day: McCartney with high-powered lawyer Fiona Shackleton who has been in charge of the protracted and tense settlement negotiations
“This means she exits her marriage with total assets of £24.3million inclusive of a deemed figure of £500,000 referable to her overspending in the period of separation,” said the judge.

The judge said that the couple had met in 1999 and started a relationship but did not live together until the start of their marriage on 11 June 2002.

He found against the claim that they had co-habited from March 2000.

The couple separated in April 2006 so the marriage lasted less than four years.

Sir Paul looked tired and worn as he left court this afternoon
The judge also refused permission for both Ms Mills and Sir Paul to raise any issues alleging bad conduct on the grounds that it was “irrelevant”.

Earlier, instead of rubber-stamping the deal, the couple had spent another morning behind closed courtroom doors, thrashing out the smallprint.

McCartney was first to arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice, accompanied by his solicitor Miss Shackleton. He strode purposefully into Court 34 at around 10.15.

Minutes later Ms Mills was driven in through the court's main gates.

She was flanked by her sister Fiona, personal trainer Ben Amigoni and a minder.

Ms Mills smiled at waiting reporters, saying: “I'm sorry, I can't make any comment.”

I saw the video of Heather talking to the media after the court battle,she couldn`t stop talking about it.Then later paul leaved and just gave a wave and left.

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It makes me wonder just how much the money played a part in their getting together in the first place?

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Just an update of what the judge thinks;

McCartney divorce judge berates Heather Mills

LONDON (Reuters) - The judge in Paul McCartney's divorce settlement berated the former Beatle's estranged wife Heather Mills for giving "inconsistent and inaccurate" evidence, according to details of his ruling released on Tuesday.

Judge Hugh Bennett, who on Monday ordered McCartney to pay Mills 24.3 million pounds ($48.7 million), said she had conducted her own defence "with courteous, yet steely determination" after earlier sacking her own lawyers.

But in a judgment Mills never wanted to be aired in public, he concluded: "Overall she was a less than impressive witness."

In contrast, the judge praised McCartney for giving balanced evidence during the six-day hearing.

"He expressed himself moderately though at times with justifiable irritation, if not anger," Bennett said. "He was consistent, accurate and honest," the judge concluded.

McCartney, 65, married the former model and charity campaigner Mills, 40, in 2002, four years after his first wife Linda died of breast cancer.

But Mills and McCartney separated four years later, blaming media intrusion into their private lives.

They have a daughter, Beatrice, aged four.

The settlement was only a fifth of the sum she had sought but still gave her the equivalent of about $34,000 for each day of her four-year marriage to the pop icon.

Mills told reporters on Monday she was appealing against publication in full "because the judgment involves private secure matters of my daughter."

But on Tuesday she lost her legal bid to stop full publication of the judge's decision. The 58-page judgment was then released online at www.judiciary.gov.uk.

The judge said Mills enjoyed going on McCartney's concert tours "because she thoroughly enjoyed the media and public attention."

"But to suggest that in some way she was his 'business partner' is, I am sorry to have to say, make-belief," he added.

"I wholly reject her account that she rekindled the husband's professional fame (after his first wife's death) and gave him back his confidence."

Honestly this `cow` should get nothing,,just pauls daughter.

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Unbelievable that she claimed all of that! She must be insane!