We can't work it out: judge to rule on McCartney divorce
LONDON (AFP) — Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills have failed to reach a divorce agreement, leaving it to a judge to rule on a multi-million pound deal, a lawyer has indicated.
Speaking as he left London's High Court on Monday, where the behind-closed-doors case has been heard since last Monday, McCartney's lawyer Nicholas Mostyn confirmed that judge Hugh Bennett would give his ruling in several weeks' time.
Unsourced newspaper reports at the weekend claimed that the couple had thrashed out a deal between each other, but the reserved judgment indicates otherwise.
The judge's ruling will be binding on both parties but could be challenged in the Court of Appeal if either side disagrees. If that happens, the case would then be heard in public.
If they agree, its terms will remain private, unless the pair decide otherwise.
McCartney, 65, and Mills, 40, announced their separation in May 2006 after four years of marriage during which they had a daughter, Beatrice, now aged four.
They have been in legal discussions ever since to determine how much Mills would receive from the musician's estimated 825-million-pound (1.1-billion-euro, 1.6-billion-dollar) fortune.
Media reports have suggested that McCartney has been prepared to offer Mills 55 million pounds but she had refused.
She would take a 20-million-pound lump sum and a further 2.5 million pounds each year for 14 years until Beatrice turns 18, with a substantial amount set aside for security, the Daily Mail said.
Mills is reported to have held out in particular on the issue of confidentiality. McCartney wants her to be prevented from speaking about their marriage, whereas she does not want to be gagged.
She is also believed to have sought money to help protect herself from press and paparazzi photographers who have hounded her, in particular since the split.
Mills has attacked Britain's tabloid newspapers for waging a hate campaign against her, comparing her treatment to that of princess Diana and Kate McCann, whose four-year-old daughter disappeared in May last year.
The former model turned charity campaigner, who lost a leg in a road accident in 1993, has also claimed the pressure of the divorce proceedings have driven her close to suicide.
McCartney for his part has been more circumspect, admitting the divorce has been painful but saying he has tried to remain dignified and has been helped by music and the couple's young daughter.
Mills decided to represent herself during the six-day long hearings in London, after falling out with her lawyers late last year following her decision to speak out in public.
McCartney, who was not seen at court Monday as he was rehearsing for an awards ceremony Wednesday, was backed by a legal team including the lawyer who represented Prince Charles in his divorce from Princess Diana.
