GLORIA ALLRED - ALLRED: 'MILLS IS AN INSPIRATION'

Celebrity lawyer GLORIA ALLRED hailed the newly single HEATHER MILLS as an "inspiration" to young mums - after she was hired by the former glamour model to represent her in the U.S. On Monday (17Mar08) Mills was awarded $33 million (GBP16.5 million) cash and assets worth $15.6 million (GBP7.8 million) in a divorce settlement with Sir Paul MCCartney. Allred - who has represented the family of O.J. Simpson's murdered ex-wife Nicole and Britney Spears' ex-bodyguard Tony Barretto - spoke in favour of Mills on British TV show GMTV on Thursday (20Mar08). She said, "She was a winner before she even met Paul MCCartney and she was a winner in her court case. "She's an inspiration to a lot of young mums and her priority is to Beatrice." MCCartney and Mills split in May 2006. A further hearing to grant a decree nisi and officially dissolve their marriage will take place on 12 May (08).