Paul McCartney's wallet is 24.5 million pounds lighter.

[Rman]

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.

Gotta love divorce laws. 

[The Fake Shemp]

Heather Mills married him for the money, away.

[Rman]

[Eel O'Brian]

and all the charities I plan on helping

lulz

[T-Short]

McCarthy?

[TVC15]

Having Paul McCartney murdered should have been part of the settlement.

[Rman]

McCarthy?

Fixed the topic.  Thanks.  You could tell I'm not a Beatles fan.

[Bloodwake]

Having Paul McCartney murdered should have been part of the settlement.

They could humiliate him by making him join a light pop act with ridiculous haircuts.

o wait

Funny, your avatar is Rob Thomas.

[Mupepe]

Having Paul McCartney murdered should have been part of the settlement.

They could humiliate him by making him join a light pop act with ridiculous haircuts.

o wait

Funny, your avatar is Rob Thomas.

I don't like where this is going.  Leave Rob out of this you fuck faces

[Mupepe]

Having Paul McCartney murdered should have been part of the settlement.

They could humiliate him by making him join a light pop act with ridiculous haircuts.

o wait

Funny, your avatar is Rob Thomas.

i see you don't get jokes.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Rob Thomas 
Beatles 

[close]

YEAH WELL YOU SUCK

[Mupepe]

At least you can say Matchbox 20 is as good as the Beatles

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Warmed over generic crap

[close]

oh.my.fucking.god

FUCK YOU

YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING BITCH GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I'M SO FUCKING MAKFJDKFAFKLAJA;KLJ;KL WHAT THE FUFKJ KLYDUDE I NENVER CDID Y SHIT TO YOU WHY TE FUCK Y DO YOU TALK ABOUT IM LI,KE THIS? ?? KADJKLAJDFKFKD KLWHWY??? KDJF I DONT' FUCKING GETIT FI JUST TRYT TO BE SO NICE KAND YIO UJUST FUCKG HE JUST RRYIES TO L0OVE!

[Van Cruncheon]

:'( :'( :'(

[Phoenix Dark]

Divorce laws are bullshit

[CurseoftheGods]

Wait. Is it cool to hate the Beatles now? I can understand hating Paul, but...

[Phoenix Dark]

Be glad Paul is alive and not John. There's no way he wouldn't be a wacky 911 truther, or worse yet a Ron Paul fanatic

[Joe Molotov]

Rich People.  smh

[Phoenix Dark]

Divorce laws are bullshit

Why is that?

Also the Beatles suck.

I just think it's a shame that a woman who doesn't work or contribute much of anything to the financial status of the family is able to be granted such a large sum of her husband's hard earned property. And with no kids involved too lol. Now I can understand that the amount should be able to take care of her and child, making them comfortable and everything...but SMH

[Fresh Prince]

I just think it's a shame that a woman who doesn't work or contribute much of anything to the financial status of the family is able to be granted such a large sum of her husband's hard earned property. And with no kids involved too lol. Now I can understand that the amount should be able to take care of her and child, making them comfortable and everything...but SMH

In this case it is because she has a daughter.

Also the court does put a price on emotional attachment, household duties etc. that have contributed to the marriage- and rightly so. 

[Phoenix Dark]

...fuck all that

[Candyflip]

I just think it's a shame that a woman who doesn't work or contribute much of anything to the financial status of the family is able to be granted such a large sum of her husband's hard earned property. And with no kids involved too lol. Now I can understand that the amount should be able to take care of her and child, making them comfortable and everything...but SMH

In this case it is because she has a daughter.

Also the court does put a price on emotional attachment, household duties etc. that have contributed to the marriage- and rightly so. 

Yes, I'm sure 23 million pounds will properly repair any emotional damage that she suffered.

Give me a break.

[Mupepe]

"emotional attachment" should have no place in this.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm going to go with "slippery slope" on this one.

Explain

[CurseoftheGods]

Divorce laws are bullshit

Why is that?

Also the Beatles suck.

[Fresh Prince]

Yes, I'm sure 23 million pounds will properly repair any emotional damage that she suffered.

Give me a break.

If any of us were judges we would not of given that amount of money however since they did not sign a pre-nup, Paul was ready to get fucked over.

Marriage is still very traditional, in some sense the woman's role is to support her husband while he makes the money- that's what they get paid for, that 'support'. Also they get paid for the lifestyle they've become 'accustomed' to.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

8 more weeks of Beatles songs on American Idol confirmed.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm going to go with "slippery slope" on this one.

Explain

As soon as you start eroding the rights of divorced couples you are getting into tricky territory.

I don't see how curving down this disproportionate distribution of assets would lead into tricky territory. I'm just not a supporter of a system that punishes successful men (or women) who get divorced.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

So were you just introduced to AI this season?  This year is especially shitty thanks to that animatronic David Archeletta and his handlers.  He's like the male version of JonBenet Ramsey and will no doubt die in a similar fashion - in his parents' basement with his panties around his ankles covered in semen.  I know the show is total crap but I can't look away.

I do gotta admit to liking the American Idol Rewind epsiodes (old shows from seasons past run in syndication), especially now 'cause they're on season 2 - aka the Aiken years.   I do this really bizarre sounding Clay Aiken impression - actually it's not so much like Clay but it's more like if Fred Schneider was auditioning for a part in Deliverance.  Must hear to appreciate.

[brawndolicious]

I'm going to go with "slippery slope" on this one.

Explain

As soon as you start eroding the rights of divorced couples you are getting into tricky territory.

I don't see how curving down this disproportionate distribution of assets would lead into tricky territory. I'm just not a supporter of a system that punishes successful men (or women) who get divorced.

so when a rich man refuses to let his wife take college classes or if a mother decides to become a housewife, she shouldn't receive any compensation for the years she lost in the job market?

[Joe Molotov]

If you don't like to share, then you probably shouldn't get married.

[brawndolicious]

so when a rich man refuses to let his wife take college classes or if a mother decides to become a housewife, she shouldn't receive any compensation for the years she lost in the job market?

she should , but it should be a sensible amount.

Also, Mills did NOTHING to help McCartney gain his wealth. The bulk of his wealth has came from various royalty pay outs, from work done before Mills was out of nappies.

Usually in the UK the claim is that the wife is a facilitator to that wealth due to the sacrifice made to the home - and is therefore entitled to a share. I fail to see how Mills has helped in this case.

Certainly not to the extent of expecting 135 million.

well I agree that she is asking for too much in this case but pd is oppoosing basically any compensation for normal divorced mothers.  I mean it's obvious that there needs to be some form of compensation besides child support.

[Candyflip]

so when a rich man refuses to let his wife take college classes or if a mother decides to become a housewife, she shouldn't receive any compensation for the years she lost in the job market?

she should , but it should be a sensible amount.

Also, Mills did NOTHING to help McCartney gain his wealth. The bulk of his wealth has came from various royalty pay outs, from work done before Mills was out of nappies.

Usually in the UK the claim is that the wife is a facilitator to that wealth due to the sacrifice made to the home - and is therefore entitled to a share. I fail to see how Mills has helped in this case.

Certainly not to the extent of expecting 135 million.

well I agree that she is asking for too much in this case but pd is oppoosing basically any compensation for normal divorced mothers.  I mean it's obvious that there needs to be some form of compensation besides child support.

Can you read? Like, at all?

I just think it's a shame that a woman who doesn't work or contribute much of anything to the financial status of the family is able to be granted such a large sum of her husband's hard earned property.

From which part did you extrapolate his opposition to "any compensation for normal divorced mothers"? There is a very large difference between compensation and 24.5 million pounds.

[Flannel Boy]

In court she claimed that she had been offered a co-hosting position on Larry King live, but McCartney wouldn't allow her to take the job. LOLZ

[Mupepe]

In court she claimed that she had been offered a co-hosting position on Larry King live, but McCartney wouldn't allow her to take the job. LOLZ

i wouldn't either.  that'd be effin embarassing

[Smooth Groove]

That's some expensive one-legged pussy. 

[Flannel Boy]

In court she claimed that she had been offered a co-hosting position on Larry King live, but McCartney wouldn't allow her to take the job. LOLZ

i wouldn't either.  that'd be effin embarassing

It wouldn't have come to that since she was obviously making that up.

[Mupepe]

Why don't you trust women at all, Malek?

[Flannel Boy]

Why don't you trust women at all, Malek?

I don't believe ludicrous claims. Why would King want a co-host? Especially an untalented, one-legged bore?

[Mupepe]

Why don't you trust women at all, Malek?

I don't believe ludicrous claims. Why would King want a co-host? Especially an untalented, one-legged bore?

Because with one leg she can fit into spaces other women cannot... like under a desk.

[Flannel Boy]

Why don't you trust women at all, Malek?

I don't believe ludicrous claims. Why would King want a co-host? Especially an untalented, one-legged bore?

Because with one leg she can fit into spaces other women cannot... like under a desk.

If a plump monica lewinsky can fit under there, so can most two legged women.

[Mupepe]

Larry King doesn't have the budget for a bigger desk.  It cost less to hire a woman minus one leg than it did to get a new desk.