Lawyers for Paul McCartney said Wednesday he'll defend himself "vigorously" against allegations reportedly made about him in legal papers by his estranged wife, Heather Mills McCartney, and leaked to the British press.

On Wednesday, U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail published charges of bad behavior against the former Beatle in what it claimed were excerpts from Mills's legal filing, which was in response to McCartney's July divorce petition.

McCartney's law firm, Payne Hicks Beach, issued a statement on Wednesday reading, "Our client would very much like to respond in public and in detail to the allegations made recently against him by his wife and published in the press, but he recognizes, on advice, that the only correct forum for his response to the allegations made against him is in the current divorce proceedings. Our client will be defending these allegations vigorously and appropriately."

The statement also says, "Since the breakdown of his marriage, Sir Paul McCartney has maintained his silence in not commenting on the media stories, believing that it was best for all concerned, particularly his children, for there to be some dignity in what is a private matter."

McCartney is represented by Payne Hicks Beach solicitor Fiona Shackleton, who worked for Prince Charles during his 1996 divorce from Princess Diana, while Mills has retained Diana's attorney, Anthony Julius.

Julius's firm, Mishcon de Reya, said in a statement that it "will not comment on leaked or allegedly leaked documents. The law firm can, however, confirm that Lady Heather Mills McCartney stands by everything that has been filed at Court on her behalf and intends to prove its truth in due course, should this be necessary."

Mills's rep, Phil Hall, had no comment, saying the matter was a legal issue and he was referring it to her lawyers.

McCartney and Mills announced their split in May after nearly four years of marriage. They have one daughter, Beatrice, who turns 3 on Oct. 28.

People Magazine

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If a new poll is any indication, Paul McCartney is running away with the battle with his estranged wife for public sympathy in Britain in their bitter divorce dispute.

"The dirt-dishing is only beginning," observes CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer, "but so far, the former Beatle is clearly the favorite."

The survey, taken by the major British news channel Sky News, shows 75 percent of the respondents saying they believe McCartney and only 25 percent saying they think Heather Mills McCartney is being truthful.

And that's no surprise to British celebrity publicist Max Clifford, who says: "Paul McCartney is extremely popular. Heather Mills has never been anything but extremely unpopular and, I think, as the last few months have unfolded, her popularity has gone down even further than it was, if that is possible."

The couple's $2 billion divorce fight has representatives of both sides making plays for public sympathy.

"She's loving, she's generous. And those qualities are very evident when you meet her," says Heather's friend, Juliette Gellately. "If you get her talking about her charity work whether it's being against the landmines, whether it being on animal causes, she is very passionate and they are what drive her."

"She is trying to desperately destroy a legend," counters McCartney family friend Peter Price. "She's destroying a national treasure. I don't know what she's playing at. I think she's a very, very wicked sado who needs an awful lot of help."

Meantime, reports Palmer, paparazzi snapped pictures of the personal trainer of Paul's ex-wife, Linda, out cycling with Paul and Heather's 2-year-old daughter, Beatrice.

And a British tabloid claims a suffering Sir Paul is seeing a psychiatrist.

Both, says Palmer, are bound to further polarize support for the warring McCartneys.

Documents leaked to the media earlier this week purport to be claims by Heather that Sir Paul drank, took drugs and physically abused her during their short marriage.

However, there's no proof the document is the genuine divorce petition, but there is lots of speculation that it was a deliberate leak by Heather's camp to damage Sir Paul.

If so, say divorce lawyers, it's a risky strategy — one British courts may well frown on.

"The court will not be happy with her conduct and it could be used as litigation misconduct that could reduce her settlement," remarked family law lawyer Vanessa Lloyd-Platt.

Custody of Beatrice is also at the center of the McCartney battle, along with how much Heather will get from Paul.

CBS News