In a harshly-worded statement, he called Mills and her $250 million claim "unreasonable, indeed exorbitant."  He wrote that Mills's evidence was "not just inconsistent and inaccurate, but also less than candid. Overall she was a less than impressive witness."

The settlement includes a lump sum of $33 million, as well as a home and other assets Mills currently holds worth more than $15 million.  The settlement also requires McCartney to provide $70,000 a year for their daughter, Beatrice, as well as providing enough to cover the additional costs of her nanny and school fees. The couple's joint custody of Beatrice remains unaltered.

Mills actions throughout the court battle have done little to quash rumours that she married the former Beatle, 25 years her senior, for his considerable wealth:

"I am very, very, very happy. I was always going to get between $40 and $60 million, but Sir Paul was offering much less than that. The judge said Paul was only worth $800 million, but everyone has known he has been worth $1.6 billion for the last 15 years.”

Mills went on to say that she wasn't allowed any access into their accounts and was locked out of every one of their homes. Speaking to the media after the ruling, she expressed that she hopes "now that me and my daughter can have a life and not be followed every single day."  She added that "apart from one TV thing, I have kept silent for 21 months. I wanted to keep it private but he wanted it made public he always wants to look like he's generous Sir Paul."

Mills has said she does not intend to appeal the judge's financial settlement ruling but does intend to appeal the decision to release the court papers to the public.  She argues that the documents include private security information concerning Beatrice which "goes against everything to do with human rights."  She adds, "I am standing here because Paul is insistent on the whole judgment being put out. I've said that if the whole judgment goes out then all the transcripts have to go out because it's going to be written in a way that they will try and make it that I wasn't successful."

Photographs courtesy Getty Images/Daniel Berehulak