Paul McCartney, estranged wife Heather and daughter Beatrice all stand to lose from public mudslinging in an increasingly ugly divorce, lawyers warn.Allegations against the former Beatle appearing in leaked court documents this week could damage his wholesome reputation, and were unlikely to boost Heather Mills McCartney's financial position in any settlement, they said.

The couple's daughter Beatrice, who is nearly three, is also likely to find out about the claims in the future.

The documents claim McCartney used illegal drugs and drank excessively, hurled abuse at Mills and made her cancel an operation on the leg she lost in a traffic accident before they married because it interfered with his holiday plans.

They also said McCartney did not want her to breastfeed their baby daughter, saying "they are my breasts".

McCartney's lawyers responded by saying he would defend the allegations "vigorously and appropriately."

Mills' representatives in the divorce, which has become so bitter one newspaper described it yesterday as "toxic", deny she had anything to do with leaking the documents to the press.

But if the revelations were designed to bolster Mills' position in settlement negotiations, they may backfire.

"I don't think these allegations are going to affect the financial settlement from either side," said James Stewart, a partner with law firm Manches.

"The behaviour must be so severe that it would be inequitable to disregard, and the threshold is incredibly high. My own view is that it's very difficult for any wife to bring home an argument of behaviour (in a divorce case)," he added.

When the couple announced their separation in May, media speculated 38-year-old Mills could win up to one quarter of McCartney's estimated $1.55 billion fortune, although some lawyers dismissed the figure as exaggerated. But lawyers believe the leaked allegations could in fact reduce the amount of money Mills receives in a settlement.

Confidentiality clauses, whereby a person agrees not to disclose details of the divorce or the reasons for it, can make up a significant part of a financial settlement.