Heather Mills (pictured) has lost her appeal to prevent the judgment in her high-profile divorce from former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney from being published.
After being awarded £25m from the divorce yesterday (17 March), Mills’ appeal today to prevent the judgement being published in full was rejected.
Mills – who represented herself after parting company with
Mills will receive £14m for herself and £2.5m to buy a house in
In his judgment, Bennett said: “This case is a paradigm example of an applicant failing to put a rational and logical case and thus failing to assist the court in its quasi-inquisitorial role to reach a fair result.”
He also criticised Mills’ evidence, saying she was a “less than impressive” witness.
Mills had asked for the judgment not to be published, citing the interests of the former couple’s child, Beatrice.
Former model Mills split from McCartney in April 2006 after four years of marriage. She originally sought £125m, having claimed that her ex-husband was worth more than £800m. However, the court found that McCartney’s fortune totalled just £400m.
The settlement comes after it emerged last month that Mishcons is in dispute with Mills – who publicly urged more litigants to represent themselves – over alleged unpaid fees. The firm split from Mills in November 2007, ending an 18-month relationship between litigation specialist Anthony Julius and the client.
You can read the judgment in full here.
Is the settlement fair? And should more litigants represent themselves, as Mills advised? Click here to have your say.
Joanne Edwards in Legal Village: 'Heather needed guidance - and so do the judges'
