Wife in high-profile divorce to be evicted

London: A woman who is seeking half her husband's £400 million (Dh2.38 billion) fortune in a divorce settlement lost her battle against eviction on Wednesday and was told to get used to being poor.

Michelle Young, 45, must move out of her townhouse in Regent's Park within six weeks or face being forcibly removed by bailiffs.

She had argued that being evicted from the property would cause her and her two daughters "exceptional hardship".

But lawyer Felix Geiringer, representing her landlords, turned on the former model, telling her that if she wanted the court to believe her divorce fight had left her penniless, she should start claiming benefits and find a council house. Geiringer told Young it was time for her to face the reality of her situation.

"The fact that she continues to wish to live in an £8,666-a-month house, to school her children in an expensive school, to come to court dressed in very fine clothes — the fact that she makes these choices does not bring her within the realm of exceptional hardship," he said.

"Nobody in this country needs to be homeless. If she's being evicted then the local council has an obligation to provide her with housing. She has access to benefits, her children can be schooled for free. The fact is that she is not seeking benefits that are available to her."

Young is at the centre of one of Britain's most highvalue divorces, and is seeking a £200 million settlement from her estranged husband, Scot Young.