McCartney Divorce Talks Continue

Love Me Don’t ex’s Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills faced off in a London courtroom today, the first of a planned five-day hearing that could result in the largest divorce settlement in British history.

At stake for the couple, who married less than four years ago and have no prenuptial agreement, is the 65 year-old former Beatle’s reported $1.6 billion fortune, and the $156 million that the ex-model Mills, 40, is reportedly demanding. McCartney, who is paying close to $60,000 a day in legal fees, plans to use forensic accountants to argue that his estate is worth considerably less, and that Mills deserves a settlement closer to $19.5 million.

Even if you don’t have Beatles-sized assets to protect, an attorney is an important advocate when you are going through a divorce. Experts agree that the best way to find representation is through word-of-mouth by asking your friends or relatives for recommendations.

“It used to be anybody and everybody coming out of law school was a divorce lawyer,” says James Gross, a divorce attorney in Chevy Chase, Maryland. But divorces today are much more complex and can often require several areas of specialization. Now experts are required “in bankruptcy, business law, tax law and real estate law, because all those things can enter into a divorce case,” says Gross. Determine what your biggest issues are and look for a divorce attorney with the appropriate area of expertise. If you’ve hired an attorney in the past with your spouse, look for someone new. Otherwise, your lawyer faces potential conflicts with confidentiality.