McCartney divorce saga gets murkier

McCartney divorce saga gets murkier

	Published : Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:20 By : Richard Owen Print this Story

LONDON - It now looks like the divorce proceedings of Paul and Heather Mills McCartney are going to be a public drama. The couple has now hired the same lawyers who represented Prince Charles and Princess Diana when the royal couple split up in 1996.

Heather has chosen Anthony Julius of the law firm Mishcon de Reya, while Sir Paul has retained Fiona Shackleton, who acted for the Prince of Wales. The former Beatles' wealth is estimated at £825 million and is much more than Prince Charles had. It is thought that Heather is gunning for a £200 million settlement.

Sir Paul has accused his former wife of "unreasonable behaviour". But Mills has gotten her won back on this. Heather's spokesman Phil Hall said in a statement last month, "She is hugely disappointed that matters of such a confidential nature should be aired in public and feels it is inappropriate to speak about such delicate matters when a child is involved."

British tabloids have placed the blame squarely on Mills' head saying she is just after his money. On Monday, Heather was locked out of Paul's London home and police were called when her security guard clambered over the walls to let her in. "One of the security people inside called the police," Mr Hall said. "They turned up and she went off for a drive around the block with the kid."

This though may not be the last salvo. The Daily Mail reported that a source close to Mills said she was determined to prove her innocence. "She is determined to come out fighting when things finally come to court. Mishcon de Reya is one of the country's most respected law firms and with them Heather is confident she will get what she deserves," the source told the paper. "She is particularly thrilled to have Anthony representing her - if he's good enough for Diana then he's good enough for her."