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CANNY HEATHER CUTS COSTS OF PRICEY DIVORCE CASE

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8 DECEMBER 2006

Heather Mills has taken the unusual step of representing herself in court in a bid to stem the soaring costs of her divorce case.



The 38-year-old estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney dispensed with barristers for an appearance at the High Court last week, and again on Wednesday during applications to keep Sir Paul out of her home and to gain access to his. Legal fees can come in at up to £15,000 a day for such appearances, and with her bills already nudging £250,000 Heather is keen to limit the strain on her finances.

The former model has left the wrangling over custody of the couple's three-year-old daughter Beatrice and the financial settlement in the hands of her high-powered lawyers, however. Although her decision to represent herself in certain aspects of the case is unusual, friends of the charity campaigner say she felt capable of handling the pressure. Meanwhile, Heather's lawyer Anthony Julius praised his client's intelligence, saying: "I like her and I have a great deal of admiration for her."

"She's intrepid and stalwart. She has encountered - and triumphed over - adversity. She has considerable character and strength of purpose. She also has a great deal of natural intelligence."