Paul McCartney and Heather Mills returned to court today for the start of a five-day hearing that is expected to end with a huge divorce settlement.
McCartney, estimated to be worth as much as US$1.6 billion, could dish out the largest financial settlement in Britain's history.
"Current estimates suggest that Heather is likely to receive anything from 50 million to 100 million pounds (US$100-200 million) as her final settlement," Suzanne Kingston, a family law expert, told The Associated Press.
Mills, who is representing herself, was the first to arrive at the High Court in London on Monday.
Justice Hugh Bennett is presiding over the hearing, which will take place behind closed doors.
Terms of any settlement may not become public unless the decision is appealed or if either party reveals the information.
"They have gone to court now to really fight it out," said CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy.
"This is probably the most acrimonious celebrity split any of us have seen here in a long time and there's a great deal of money at stake."
The pair failed to reach an agreement during proceedings last October.
The Daily Mail reported on the weekend that McCartney was prepared to offer Mills 55 million pounds.
"The fact that this has been a short marriage will be taken into account and this could involve looking at the wealth that has been generated during the course of the marriage as distinct from premarital wealth," said Kingston.
The couple married in 2002, had a daughter in 2003, and announced their separation in 2006.
Kennedy said the couple's daughter will factor into any decision made by the judge.
He said since custody will probably be split, the courts believe the 'lifestyle' of the daughter must be similar when she visits either parent.
"Paul McCartney is an extremely wealthy man so the lifestyle that Heather Mills will have to have once this divorce is complete would have to be fairly substantial," said Kennedy.
In November, after firing her lawyers, Mills did a series of media interviews accusing McCartney of not protecting her and her child from abuse -- which she said included lies, slander and death threats.
"We've had death threats, I've been close to suicide. I'm so upset about this," she said in one of her November interviews. "I've had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer, and I've done nothing but charity for 20 years."
In 1993, Mills' left leg was amputated after a motorcycle accident.
With files from The Associated Press
