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Madonna, Ritchie agree on 'quickie' divorce

Posted November 21, 2008 01:04:00
Updated November 21, 2008 09:39:00

Guy Ritchie and Madonna have reached an 'amicable agreement'.

Guy Ritchie and Madonna have reached an 'amicable agreement'. (Reuters: Eric Gaillard)

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie will divorce in London on Friday (local time) after coming to a speedy agreement ending their eight-year marriage.

The couple will be granted a "quickie" divorce by a judge in the High Court in central London, according to a court hearings list published on Thursday.

They are believed to have reached an amicable agreement on their split despite separating just a month ago.

Friends had expected the pair to take months to battle out a deal covering their children and multi-million dollar wealth.

But Ritchie, 40, has reportedly agreed to walk away from his marriage without taking a cent from Madonna's estimated $US700 million ($1.1 billion) fortune.

The pair are also believed to have agreed to share their children, with the two boys - Rocco, eight, and three-year-old adopted David - dividing their time between Ritchie's London home and Madonna's in New York.

Madonna's 12-year-old daughter Lourdes, from her previous relationship with personal trainer Carlos Leon, will live full-time with the singer.

"The priority for him [Ritchie] has always been the children," an unnamed source told the Evening Standard newspaper in London.

"Ritchie has not wanted her money."

Their divorce hearing is listed for 10am (9pm AEDT), with the case listed as Ciccone M L v Ritchie G S.

District Judge Reid will grant the couple a decree nisi in Court 10 of the High Court's principal registry, but neither Madonna nor Ritchie will have to be present.

The pair, who own homes in London, Los Angeles and New York, married in December 2000 at a castle in Scotland.

Madonna is currently performing her Sticky And Sweet tour in the United States while Ritchie is shooting a film about Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law in the UK.

The singer married Hollywood actor Sean Penn in 1985, but they divorced after three years.

Ritchie's marriage to the singer was his first.

- AAP

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, feature-films, music, human-interest, people, united-kingdom, united-states

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