London - NIGELLA Lawson and Charles Saatchi’s ‘quickie’ divorce will move a step closer today with the pronouncement of a decree nisi at London’s High Court.
The couple’s marriage could be over in as little as six weeks’ time – which would be three months after the publication of pictures showing Mr Saatchi with his hand around his wife’s throat.
It is understood it was Miss Lawson who stumped up the £150 cost to file for divorce, and who will be named as the applicant in the case which will be heard at 10.30am by District Judge Aitken.
Under court regulations, the couple will now have to wait at least six weeks and one day before their marriage can be legally ended with the publication of a decree absolute.
The pronouncement of a decree nisi means that both parties have agreed to divorce, and that the judge has accepted their reasons for ending the marriage. It also signals that both parties have negotiated a financial settlement through Miss Lawson’s lawyer, Fiona Shackleton.
The couple are jointly worth around £150million.
Mr Saatchi, 70, is thought to have a personal fortune of around £130million thanks to his successful advertising career and astute art collecting, while his wife is believed to be worth £20 million from her work as a television cook and writer.
However, in a joint statement earlier this month, Miss Lawson and Mr Saatchi confirmed the couple are not seeking any money from each other.
While the average divorce takes around six months, the pair are said to have agreed an amicable separation to ensure their divorce does not end in a public court hearing.
The couple had been due to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary on September 3.
Mr Saatchi initially brushed off the throat-grabbing incident as nothing more than a ‘playful tiff’, but further images revealed Miss Lawson suffered 27 minutes of anguish and had her nose repeatedly tweaked and twisted by him as they dined outside Scott’s restaurant in London.
Mr Saatchi voluntarily went to Charing Cross police station and accepted a caution for assault. - Daily Mail
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