Heather Mills will be barred from grilling Sir Paul McCartney in court over his alleged violent behaviour towards her during their four-year marriage.
She arrived looking upbeat in a black velvet pinstriped suit and bright red shirt, despite the ban, which could have an adverse affect on her case.
Ms Mills, who is representing herself, is expected to begin cross-examining her estranged husband today in a legal battle to decide the size of her divorce payout.
But Mr Justice Bennett, the High Court judge who will decide the size of Ms Mills’s divorce settlement, is expected to rule that claims of violence are irrelevant in determining how much money Sir Paul should pay his ex-wife.
In divorce papers leaked last year, Ms Mills, 40, accused Sir Paul, 65, of being violent towards her on four occasions, including being stabbed in the arm with a broken wine glass. The former Beatle denied the allegations.
A legal source said today: “The court does not like to air dirty linen in public. What people have done wrong in a marriage is not going to weigh on a judge’s mind in deciding the size of a payout.”
The case was due to conclude today but Mr Justice Bennett is understood to have made space available in his court diary allowing it to run into next week.