Guardian article - Mar 18, 2008

For a woman who had just been awarded more than £24m - and who insisted she was thrilled with the "incredible result" - Heather Mills still had a few scores to settle when she emerged on to the steps of the high court yesterday.

Yes, she was happy enough with the sum, though it was barely a fifth of what she had claimed. But a few things were niggling at her. The court. The publication of the judgment. Sir Paul's McCartney's behaviour. The judge's assessment of his wealth. And the treatment she received from his lawyer, Fiona Shackleton.

She had sought £125m for the four-year marriage; McCartney had offered £15.8m. When they had failed to reach an agreement, Mr Justice Bennett stepped in to impose his own judgment on the former Beatle and the former model.

"I'm so glad it's over," Mills told the mass of microphones and cameras outside the court. "It was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter's future and that of all the charities that I obviously plan on helping."

Mills, 40, who described herself as a "campaigning girl", defended her decision to part company with her lawyers, Mishcon de Reya - not least because the decision had saved her £600,000 - but said the legal system seldom smiled on those who represent themselves.

"Obviously the court do not want a litigant in person to do well, it's against everything that they ever wish, so when they write the judgment up they're never going to make it look in favour," she said.

"But all of you that have researched know that it was always going to be a figure between 20 and 30 million. Paul was offering a lot less, which you'll see in the judgment, and very much last minute to put me and [our daughter] Beatrice sadly through this ... incredibly sad."

She announced that she was appealing against the judge's highly unusual decision to make the entire ruling public because the judgment contained information about the couple's daughter. "Everything about her is in there," she said, including where Beatrice went to school. Although a summary of the judgment was published yesterday, the full details have been withheld pending the appeal, to be heard today.

Mills also hit out at the £35,000 a year that McCartney, 65, will pay for the care of their daughter. "She's obviously meant to travel B class while her father travels A class - but obviously I will pay for that."

Her ex-husband's fortune, she said, had been seriously underestimated by Mr Justice Bennett. "He ... said Paul is only worth £400m and that is what he said he believes him to be worth. Everybody knows he has been worth £800m for the last 15 years."

Mills queried the judge’s claim that she and McCartney had not lived together until 2002. "A lot of strange things have been going on behind the scenes, " she said.

Although Mills said she and Mishcon de Reya had parted amicably, she was less charitable about McCartney's legal team. She accused his lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, of handling the case "in the worst manner you can ever imagine", adding: "She has called me many, many names before even meeting me when I was in a wheelchair."

She batted away questions about how she felt about her ex-husband with a "No comment" until asked whether she thought McCartney had been cruel.

"I can’t say that for the sake of my daughter," she said. "My sister does."

Mills's payout is less than half the record £48m award to Beverley Charman, ex-wife of insurance tycoon John, from assets of £131m. But that followed a 28-year marriage in which the pair began with nothing.

Lawyers say settlements as high as £100m have been negotiated out of court without publicity. Mills was entitled to less because the marriage was so short and McCartney's wealth was amassed before he met her. Marilyn Stowe, a divorce solicitor, said she was "incredulous" that McCartney had offered £15.8m, forcing Mills to take the case to court. "Given Sir Paul’s wealth, where did such an extraordinarily small sum come from? To put Heather Mills through this was shocking and unnecessary," she added.

Her grievances aired and the divorce settled, Mills turned to head back into the court, but not before putting things into perspective. "I just want to thank everybody for their support and finalising this, so at least we can start getting some really good headlines on the front pages, of important issues and matters instead of our boring divorce."

A spokesman for McCartney refused to comment on the case.