’Utterly fearsome’: Isla Fisher’s divorce lawyer bombshell

It appears the divorce had been on the cards for quite some time, with Isla Fisher contacting a “fearsome” lawyer years ago.

Actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher announced their divorce on social media on Friday after 13 years of marriage. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)

Isla Fisher first told friends she was consulting a celebrity divorce lawyer two years ago, according to reports.

New claims have emerged that the star quietly contacted £550 ($1055)-an-hour Fiona Shackleton — Sir Paul McCartney’s legal expert in his £24 million ($30.3 million) split from Heather Mills, in 2022.

Isla Fisher reportedly approached a divorce lawyer two years ago. Picture by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.

In June 2022, The Sun contacted representatives for Isla and Sacha regarding the claims, but they denied it at the time.

However, on Friday the couple confirmed they had split last year — mere months after newspaper had first approached them.

Baroness Shackleton, who also negotiated the then Prince Charles’ divorce to Princess Diana, reportedly advised the couple to go down an “amicable route” to keep things civil.

Insiders had suggested since the announcement that they could go to war over Sacha’s estimated £40 million ($76.7 million) fortune.

A source told The Sun: “Isla has known for some time the marriage was over, and after some difficult conversations with Sacha, made the decision to consult a divorce lawyer.

“This was back in early summer, 2022.

“Fiona Shackleton was recommended by mutual contacts, and Isla was put in touch with an associate at the office.”

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher announced their divorce on Instagram Stories. Picture from Instagram/islafisher.

Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday revealed that the reason behind the couple’s break-up was over a disagreement on where they wanted to live, after splitting their time between LA and Australia.

According to the publication, rumours that their marriage was over “began to swirl last year when the couple began househunting in London”.

The outlet claimed Baron Cohen was “itching to return to London, while his wife was happier in her native Australia”.

“The disagreement over where they lived is said to have taken its toll on the pair, who had been together since 2001,” the report stated.

The couple moved to Sydney during the coronavirus pandemic back in 2020, then relocated to Perth, where Fisher’s family is based, in 2021.

A friend of the couple told the publication: “The return to the UK came from nowhere.

“They had been living away from Britain for a while and they weren’t expected to relocate.

“But things were becoming difficult and, as they say, home is where the heart is. Perhaps Sacha thought that would make things better.

“It didn’t, though – things just crumbled and crumbled.”

Originally published as ’Utterly fearsome’: Isla Fisher’s divorce lawyer bombshell