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Wednesday February 6, 2008

Heather Mills will represent herself in her court battle against estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney, her spokeswoman told a US newspaper.

Mills, 40, has dumped her legal team ahead of the divorce showdown. Aides say she is ready for the fight of her life – but say she is also prepared for the worst.

Spokeswoman Michelle Elyzabeth said: “She’s preparing for it and is in good spirits.

“Whichever way it goes is OK with her.”

She told the New York Post today: “She’s got to get on with her life.”

Mills was previously represented by Mishcon de Reya, but the law firm severed ties last year, claiming she owed them millions in unpaid legal bills.

The former model – who has made several emotional appearances on television on both sides of the Atlantic – is expected to repeat lurid allegations that Macca, 65, was abusive after drink and drug binges.

She is fighting for a $100m slice of the Beatles legend’s $1.6bn fortune. The five-day hearing, starting on Monday, will likely be explosive with neither side holding their fire.

Sir Paul – represented by Prince Charles’s lawyer, Fiona Shackleton – has reportedly told aides he is prepared for the worst. But the singer has vowed to clear his name – and to keep as much of his fortune as possible.

The closed hearing will be held in the family division of the High Court in London before Mr Justice Bennett, according to reports in the UK.

The pair’s four-year marriage ended in May 2006. They have a four-year-old daughter Beatrice.

The new hearing comes after Heather and Sir Paul failed to reach a divorce deal during a marathon eight hours of talks in October.