Mills to cross-examine McCartney in court

After months of stalemate over a final settlement, Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills will be able to cross-examine the former Beatle herself about his multi-million pound fortune when the couple go to court today. In what is likely to be a week-long battle over the slice of McCartney's fortune due to Mills and their young daughter Beatrice, the 65-year-old singer has assembled an expensive legal team, including Nicholas Mostyn QC, a veteran of notable divorce cases. By contrast Mills is representing herself at the private hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London after a high-profile falling out with her lawyers Mishcon de Reya, to whom she owes an estimated £2m in legal fees.

Reports over the weekend suggested that the couple had finally reached a settlement worth £55m by the time Beatrice is 18, depending on Mills' agreement to a confidentiality clause. But Mills is said to be pushing for a deal worth up to £80m.

Not only is the McCartney-Mills divorce one of the most acrimonious celebrity splits in years, it is likely to prove a landmark case in terms of payout, with some estimates putting McCartney's fortune at as much as £835m. The size of the final settlement may never be known - unless either party chooses to go to the Court of Appeal, where hearings take place in public.

One divorce lawyer told the Guardian: "They had a very, very expensive lifestyle. Even though he had made the money beforehand, all the case law says there should not be a vast difference in lifestyle between the parents. That means she is entitled to a house in London, a house in the country and a house in the sun."

Mills's success may depend on whether she can keep her cool while cross-examining her ex-husband. The case is being heard by Mr Justice Bennett, said to be an old-school, no-nonsense judge who is not inclined to be over-generous to wives. “I would have thought he would be a good draw for Paul McCartney,” said one lawyer who represents rich divorce clients.