Record 70-Second Hearing Marks The End Between Nigella Lawson And Charles Saatchi, Almost

Seven weeks after the photos of Charles Saatchi grabbing Nigella Lawson’s throat during an argument first surfaced, the couple has been granted a decree nisi – or, in layman’s terms, a divorce. The decree was granted in record time. The hearing reportedly lasted just 70 seconds on Wednesday morning. The procedure was probably streamlined by the fact that neither Saatchi, nor Lawson were present in the courtroom. Neither were any of their lawyers, according to The Guardian.

This concludes the couple's decade-long marriage.

However, this isn’t the final step for the turbulent couple. The art collector and the TV chef now have to wait an additional six weeks for the decree absolute to be issued, officially and finally putting an end to the marriage. This week it came to light that it was Nigella and not Saatchi, as he himself had previously claimed, who filed for the divorce.

Lawson moved out of the family home last month.

According to court papers, she cited Saatchi’s “unreasonable behaviour” as the motive. The paperwork also reveals that an "order for financial relief" between the parties has been approved, meaning that Saatchi and Lawson have probably reached a private financial agreement, without the court’s interference. The two will abstain from any financial claims against one another, in order to keep the divorce as fast and free of complications as possible.

There is just one more step before the divorce is finalised.