No Agreement In Mills-McCartney; Judge Will Decide Financial Fate

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Paul McCartney,Divorces,Bindi Irwin,Couples
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FIRST PUBLISHED: February 16, 2008 4:17 PM EST
LAST UPDATED: February 18, 2008 1:45 PM EST

LONDON, England --

Despite earlier reports that Heather Mills and Paul McCartney had reached a settlement in their very public and bitter divorce, the fate of the former couple's finances lies in the hands of a British High Court judge, MSNBC reports.

After hearing arguments from Mills and McCartney, High Court Justice Bennett will "carefully write out his judgment," Denise Lester, a British divorce lawyer told MSNBC. "The judge will give careful consideration about the arguments he's heard," she added.

At stake is McCartney's estimated near $1 billion fortune. Lester told MSNBC that Mills could be awarded upwards of $160 million.

The Mills-McCartney divorce could be "the largest divorce settlement in British legal history," Lester said, adding the "the numbers are stellar" in the case.

The ruling is "purely a financial issue" for Mills and McCartney, Lester added. It will not affect custody of their four-year-old daughter, Beatrice.

"The decision by the High Court judge is binding," Lester told MSNBC. "But, if either side is dissatisfied, they can indeed challenge this. And this would be by way of an appeal to the Court of Appeal."

If Mills or McCartney were to challenge the judge's ruling, the appeal would play out in a public court that both the media and public would have access to, according to Lester.

There has reportedly been no date set for the ruling.

Mills and McCartney were married in 2002.

Copyright 2008 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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