keep Perot's Island, may have to pay her opponent's legal bills. The amount could be "well into six figures'', a legal source said yesterday.

"If you add up all the dollars that were spent on that case, it was a lawyer's bonanza,'' the source said.

Mrs. MacMillan was taken to court by Canadian tycoon Mr. Michael DeGroote after she changed her mind about selling the island to him for $8.5 million.

After a 30-day trial, the judge decided Mr. DeGroote should get the island, and dismissed claims from Mrs. MacMillan of misconduct by real estate firms Betco and Coopers.

At a hearing to decide costs, expected within a month, Mr. DeGroote and the realtors are expected to argue Mrs. MacMillan should pay an amount as near to their actual legal bills as possible. This figure is believed to be more than $400,000.

Mrs. MacMillan is to appeal the decision by Supreme Court judge the Hon. Mr.

Justice Ground that ordered the $8.5 million sale should go ahead.

Real estate agents are divided over whether Perot's Island is still worth that price, agreed by the two multi-millionaires in 1990.

One agent said the island's current value could be as low as $6.5 million. He based this on a recent fall in the luxury market, demonstrated by the sale of Paget Hall for around $3.85 million despite an original $11 million price tag.

But on the other hand, he said, Perot's Island was a unique property and a buyer might be willing to pay a premium price for it.

In another repercussion of the trial, Mr. John Cooper, president of the lawyers' body the Bar Association, said he would examine the judge's decision on a sworn statement made by Mrs. MacMillan. "I will obtain a copy of the decision and consider whether or not it's a matter we should put on the agenda for the next Bar Council meeting next month,'' he said.

In his decision, the judge said Mr. DeGroote might have won the case much earlier were it not for a sworn statement made by Mrs. MacMillan which was "regrettably false'' in four areas concerning Betco, her real estate firm.

"I have considered referring the matter to the Attorney General to consider whether it merits a prosecution,'' said the judge.

"However, I do accept (Mrs. MacMillan's) explanation, which is essentially that she signed what her lawyers put in front of her and relied upon them to get it right. That at least negatives dishonesty on her part.'' Mr. DeGroote was represented in the trial by Mr. John Riihiluoma, Betco by Mr.

Mark Diel and Ms Clare Hatcher, and Coopers by Mr. Andrew Martin. Mrs.

MacMillan's lawyers were Mr. Julian Hall and Mr. Robin McMillan.