Madonna and Guy Ritchie Divorce

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have been granted a divorce at the clinical Principal Registry of the Family Division in High Holborn, London.

Neither the pop star nor the movie director attended the divorce hearing, which saw the couple reach a mutual settlement over their assets and the children before the divorce.

Madonna, who is said to be worth £300 million, and her former husband, who has made £30 million from his career, agreed not to demand a financial settlement from each other and to share custody of their two boys, Rocco, eight, and three-year-old adopted David Banda.

A sworn statement released by the court showed that Madonna petitioned for divorce on the grounds of Mr Ritchie's unreasonable behaviour, which she said was continuing.

Madonna also said they had not been living together at the same address for six months since the date of the petition. She signed the affidavit in Beverley Hills.

The couple wed at Skibo Castle in the Highlands of Scotland in December 2000, where guests included Gwyneth Paltrow, Donatella Versace and Stella McCartney.

Copyright © Press Association 2008

Peter Morris from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "It is clear that Guy Ritchie could have claimed a significant share of the couple's financial resources, built up over the course of a ten year marriage. The sums reported to be involved could have produced the largest court ordered settlement to date. The fact he didn't suggests that his main priority was to share the care of the two young children of the marriage, and avoid watching them spend the majority of their time growing up with their mother in America. What this agreement also shows is that both sides wanted to achieve a swift conclusion which will be for the long term benefit of all concerned. As well as saving the financial cost, they have also avoided the kind of high profile media frenzy experienced by the McCartneys."