Heather awarded £24.3m as divorce deal with Paul is confirmed

16 Mar 2008

The high-profile divorce settlement dispute between Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills came to an end today with a judge awarding the former model and anti-landmines campaigner £24.3 million of Sir Paul's fortune.

Speaking outside London's High Court after hearing the decision, Heather said: "I'm glad it is all over. It was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter's future and that of all the charities I obviously plan on helping and making a difference with - because you know it has been my life for 20 years."

After consulting with both parties the judge decided to make his ruling public due to the huge public interest in the case. Heather said she plans to appeal the move to place full details of the decision in the public domain, however, as it contains private details concerning her daughter's schooling and daily routine.

Through the deal Heather will receive a lump sum of £16.5 million, plus £2.5 million to purchase a house in London. Although the total amount awarded is larger than the £15.8 which Paul initially offered, it is lower than the amount predicted by divorce experts. It had initially been thought she could be given as much as £60 million - which would have been the highest divorce settlement in UK history.

Though reports had previously estimated the Beatles musician's wealth to be around £825 million, the judge found the total value of Paul's assets, including his businesses, to be closer to £400 million.