Coles’ fairytale marriage over in 80 seconds
The undefended “quickie divorce” obtained by the X Factor judge on the grounds of the soccer star’s unreasonable behaviour took just 80 seconds to process.
District Judge Christopher Simmonds pronounced the decrees nisi sought by 29 couples in the bland surroundings of the Principal Registry of the High Court’s Family Division in London.
The setting for the case of Cole v Cole – or CAC vs AC as it was listed – was a far cry from the country house romance of Sopwell House Hotel in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where they tied the knot in July 2006 with an OK! magazine deal.
The pop star and footballer union soon led to them being compared with the Beckhams but the pair, who met in 2004, separated in February after public allegations about the England and Chelsea defender’s infidelity.
Their troubled marriage was the subject of much media attention and Cheryl Cole was pictured on a number of occasions without her wedding ring.
Neither of the celebrity couple was in court for yesterday’s hearing which, apart from the judge and a clerk, was only attended by the media.
Cheryl, 27, is understood to be in Los Angeles while her 29-year-old ex was preparing for England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria at Wembley last night.
A spokesman for the Girls Aloud singer said they would not be commenting on the news.
Among the documents made public yesterday was a sworn statement signed by Cheryl Cole on July 28.
In them she confirmed that, since the date of the petition, they had not lived at the same address for a period of more than six months.
The statement concluded with the singer, who gave an address in Godalming, Surrey, asking the court to grant a decree dissolving her marriage on the ground of her husband’s unreasonable behaviour and to order him to pay the agreed costs of £1,500 (€1,800).
Fiona Wood, partner at Manchester-based law firm Pannone, commented: “It’s unlikely we’ll ever know the full reasons behind the divorce because the course this separation is taking suggests that there is no great disagreement between Ashley and Cheryl Cole over whatever grounds have been cited. In six weeks’ time, whoever issued proceedings is entitled to apply for the decree nisi to be made absolute, at which point both Cheryl and Ashley really are divorced.”
“It’s important to remember that while a decree nisi might suggest this separation isn’t as bitterly contested as some previous cases and won’t require a lengthy hearing to resolve matters, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will have sorted their finances out.
“Even if they manage to come to an agreement about how to divide their assets, we may never know the details.
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