Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills will try to agree a divorce deal this week at a secret hearing before a High Court judge.

The estranged couple and their lawyers will attend a one-day hearing at a location that has been moved out of the Royal Courts of Justice to avoid the media.

The aim of the hearing before Mr Justice Coleridge – on Wednesday or Thursday – is to agree a financial settlement and avoid the dispute going to a costly and public hearing. The venue is thought to be within a mile of the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand.

If successful, Ms Mills could walk away with a settlement worth somewhere between £30 million to £50 million, made up of a lump sum plus annual payments for the couple’s daughter, Beatrice. The hearing involves a special procedure that has applied to all disputes over money arising from divorce since 2004.

All offers already made are laid on the table and the judge then indicates what he thinks a court would order, within a range of figures, were the couple not to reach agreement between themselves. It is believed that Sir Paul has offered in the region of £20 million and that Ms Mills is insisting on a figure of nearer £50 million.

Family lawyers speculate that the appropriate settlement range in this case is £25 million to £30 million. But Sir Paul may pay much more to avoid the unpleasantness of allegations being aired in public.

One source said: “This case ought to settle. It is absolutely straightforward.”

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