After weeks of frenzied speculation, Mr Justice Bennett handed down judgment in the McCartney-Mills divorce case on Monday. At issue was what financial provision should be made for Heather Mills out of Sir Paul’s wealth, the majority of which was acknowledged to have been amassed prior to a marriage the Judge found to have lasted only 3 years and 10 months.
Despite reports that put Sir Paul’s worth at up to £840m, the judge found that the total value of his assets was about £400m. He was not persuaded that the well-publicised allegations of conduct should have any impact on the size of the award and decided, in looking at the checklist provided by Section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, that Heather’s needs were a factor of “magnetic importance”.
