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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| No agreement in McCartney divorce | No agreement in McCartney divorce |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have failed to reach agreement over a financial settlement in their High Court divorce case. | Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have failed to reach agreement over a financial settlement in their High Court divorce case. |
| The settlement will be decided at a later date by Mr Justice Bennett after he reserved judgement on the case. | The settlement will be decided at a later date by Mr Justice Bennett after he reserved judgement on the case. |
| It has been suggested the financial settlement could break records. | It has been suggested the financial settlement could break records. |
| Divorce experts have suggested that, based on recent cases, Ms Mills could walk away with £60m of Sir Paul's estimated £825m. | Divorce experts have suggested that, based on recent cases, Ms Mills could walk away with £60m of Sir Paul's estimated £825m. |
| That would make it the biggest settlement of its kind in a British court. | That would make it the biggest settlement of its kind in a British court. |
| The current record rests with businessman John Charman who was ordered to pay £48m to his ex-wife last year. | The current record rests with businessman John Charman who was ordered to pay £48m to his ex-wife last year. |
| Brits prize | Brits prize |
| Ms Mills, who has been representing herself throughout the hearing, smiled at waiting reporters as she left court. | |
| Sir Paul, 65 - thought to be rehearsing for Wednesday night's Brit Awards where he will receive a special prize for outstanding contribution to music - was not in court on Monday. | |
| Mr Justice Bennett's judgement, due in the next few weeks, will be binding on both parties and may never be known to the outside world. | Mr Justice Bennett's judgement, due in the next few weeks, will be binding on both parties and may never be known to the outside world. |
| Ms Mills would have put forward a case of where she wants to live, what homes she needs, what expenses she's got and what security she needs Alan Kaufman, divorce lawyer | |
| Any financial settlement will not be made public unless the case goes to the Court of Appeal. | Any financial settlement will not be made public unless the case goes to the Court of Appeal. |
| But his judgement could be challenged there if either side is unhappy. | But his judgement could be challenged there if either side is unhappy. |
| Under those circumstances, the case - which has so far remained behind closed doors - would become public, with all arguments in the public domain. | Under those circumstances, the case - which has so far remained behind closed doors - would become public, with all arguments in the public domain. |
| Divorce lawyer Alan Kaufman told the BBC News website that Mr Justice Bennett would have "a hard job" in deciding what was a fair proportion of Sir Paul's wealth to give to Ms Mills. | |
| Factors that could be taken into account includ the short duration of the marriage and the fact that most of the wealth was created before the marriage, he said. | |
| "But how far does he go? He's got to look at what are her actual needs. | |
| "Ms Mills would have put forward a case of where she wants to live, what homes she needs, what expenses she's got and what security she needs." | |
| 'Well-prinicipled' | |
| The judge would also have to bear in mind that, if either party were unhappy with his judgement, it would have to "look sound and well-principled so it's not subject to criticism in a higher court if one of them decides to appeal", Mr Kaufman added. | |
| "So all those things are the things going through this poor judge's mind," he added. | |
| Ms Mills, 40, who lost part of a leg in a road accident in 1993, married Sir Paul in June 2002, four years after the death of his first wife Linda from breast cancer. | Ms Mills, 40, who lost part of a leg in a road accident in 1993, married Sir Paul in June 2002, four years after the death of his first wife Linda from breast cancer. |
| The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter Beatrice together, announced the end of their marriage in 2006. | The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter Beatrice together, announced the end of their marriage in 2006. |