Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi could be divorced in a matter of weeks.
The couple have reached a swift decision to legally end their marriage in a bid to prevent their private life from being leaked to the public and have negotiated a settlement - which is estimated to be worth £150 million - through Nigella's lawyer, Fiona Shackleton.
The pair - thought to have signed a pre-nuptial agreement prior to their wedding in 2003 - have agreed not to publically disclose the terms of their divorce or their financial settlements after lodging divorce papers at the High Court last week.
A friend of Charles said: "He and Nigella agreed - via Fiona Shackleton - to a speedy divorce. Fiona Shackleton is Nigella's first cousin and Charles highly respects her.
"He did not hire a lawyer himself and he has not even spoken to Helen Ward, whom a Sunday paper claimed he has hired.
"Fiona prepared a full court document, every detail of every asset was listed, and an agreement was reached with no dispute.
"They have agreed never to make public the terms of the divorce or financial settlements. Fiona lodged the divorce document with the court last Friday."
The TV chef apparently had "no idea" the 70-year-old art collector - who accepted a police caution for assault after pictures of him grabbing Nigella around the throat emerged last month - was going to announce their divorce via a Sunday newspaper and was said to have broken down in tears following the news.
A friend said previously: "Poor Nigella is beside herself.
"She had no idea that Charles was going to file for divorce.
"She has been trying to call him to talk about what is going on, but she cannot get through.
"She keeps saying, 'How can you file for divorce without even talking about it?'
"This was never Nigella's intention. She was hoping she could quietly reconcile with Charles after she got back from the US.
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