Amber Heard and Johnny Depp are about to join an extensive list of famous couples who have thrashed out highly public and likely very costly divorce settlements. Heard, 30, filed for divorce from Depp, 52, after just 15 months of marriage. But while their union was inarguably short - the ‘brevity’ of this marriage was referred to by Depp’s lawyer in a curt statement shortly after Heard filed - the couple is understood not to have had a prenuptial agreement in place. Depp is thought to have a net worth of up to $400 million, while Heard’s net worth is less clear but estimated to be between $4.5m and $9m.

A judge has already refused Heard’s request for spousal support for now but, under California law, Heard is entitled to a minimum of half of the amount their wealth increased over the course of their marriage. However, California law also acknowledges “separate property” - the assets and earnings amassed before the marriage - meaning spouses are not obliged to share these in a divorce. Legal experts say Heard, who claims Depp was physically and emotionally abusive throughout their marriage, could stand to receive a settlement worth $20m. Depp has denied all allegations of abuse against Heard through his lawyer.

The Independent spoke to Ayesha Vardag, who specialises in divorce and family law, about some of the most famous and expensive celebrity divorces that precede Depp and Heard.

The most shocking celebrity divorces Show all 20 1 /20 The most shocking celebrity divorces The most shocking celebrity divorces Amber Heard and Johnny Depp are understood to have reached a settlement in their divorce proceedings. Heard, 30, has dismissed her petition for a restraining order against Depp She has reportedly accepted a $7 million settlement The most shocking celebrity divorces The news about their split came after their 10-year wedding anniversary in June 2015 and despite all the reports, many fans didn't believe it could be true until Ben and Jen revealed their plans to divorce Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale announced their split after 13 years of marriage in August 2015 after Gavin was rumored to have had an affair with the family nanny Getty Images for L.A.M.B. The most shocking celebrity divorces Melanie and Antonio managed to make their marriage last 18 years before it was revealed in June 2014 that Melanie was divorcing Antonio Getty Images for Children's Hosp The most shocking celebrity divorces In October 2013 they shared that they had separated after three years of marriage Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Tom Cruise announced that "Kate has filed for divorce" in June 2012. The couple were married for more than five years Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Heidi and Seal's separation was announced in 2012 Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Pop star Katy Perry has revealed that Russell Brand told her he was divorcing her in a text message. The couple split just 14 months after getting married in India in 2010 Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces In November 2011, Demi filed for divorce, saying, "As a woman, a mother and a wife, there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life" Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces In July 2011, J Lo and Marc released a statement saying, "We have decided to end our marriage. This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters" Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Gwyneth and Chris were married for more than 10 years and had 2 children together when they announced that they were "consciously uncoupling" Getty Images for Entertainment I The most shocking celebrity divorces After one of the most renowned cheating scandals of all time, Tiger Woods reportedly paid €89 million to his ex-wife in their 2010 divorce. As part of the settlement, the golfer also had to pay €48 million towards the couple's mortgage by January of this year Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Madonna and filmmaker Guy Ritchie were married for eight years before splitting in 2008. The pop star reportedly paid Ritchie between €67 and €81 million, including the value of their London pub, the Punchbowl and their country home Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Heather Mills was awarded £24.3m in her bitter divorce from Sir Paul McCartney The most shocking celebrity divorces Sarko and Cecilia: The true cost of Nicolas Sarkozy's split from wife Cécilia and remarriage to the (occasional) nude model Carla Bruni can be counted in two ways: first, in the unpleasant headlines surrounding the manner in which Cécilia was treated; and second, in the French opinion polls, which show Sarko as the most unpopular president in living memory GETTY IMAGES The most shocking celebrity divorces Bruce and Demi Moore: Divorce doesn't get better than this. After 13 years of marriage, they split in 2000, sharing custody of three daughters. Willis is so chummy with his ex that he attended her wedding to Ashton Kutcher. "Demi is the mother of my children and Ashton is the stepfather of my children. I'm thrilled that [he] turned out to be such a great guy," he gushed GETTY IMAGES The most shocking celebrity divorces Tom and Nicole: It took some time, but when the biggest Hollywood divorce of the 1990s was finally concluded, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman allowed themselves a brief, celebratory punch of the air before getting on with life. They happily share custody of two adopted children, and both maintain (in public, at least) that they have "no regrets" about their relationship GETTY IMAGES The most shocking celebrity divorces Brad and Jennifer First: Jennifer Aniston had to cope with reports that her husband, Brad Pitt, was playing away with Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith. Then, she suffered the indignity, amid rumours about her alleged refusal to have children, of seeing T-shirts bearing the slogan, "I'll have your baby, Brad" become a must-have fashion accessory GETTY IMAGES The most shocking celebrity divorces Charles and Diana: It's never easy to keep a sense of proportion about divorce. But when the chosen medium for announcing your separation is an announcement by the prime minister to the House of Commons, it is almost impossible. Charles and Diana's marital troubles inspired the greatest tabloid feeding-frenzy of modern times - with tragic results Getty Images The most shocking celebrity divorces Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor: If Taylor made a habit of nasty divorces, her life would hardly have been worth living: the actress has married no fewer than eight times, to seven different husbands. Most of her marriages ended (relatively) amicably. Richard Burton enjoyed divorcing her in 1974 so much that he remarried her in 1975, then divorced her again in 1976 Getty Images

Roman and Irina Abramovich

“Widely believed to be the world’s most expensive divorce, the couple separated in 2007 after 16 years of marriage. The settlement, which was ordered in Moscow, is clouded in secrecy and has been reported to be worth upwards of £250m. Irina is thought to have received such a high amount due to the sheer scale of the money made by the Chelsea FC owner and the fact that most of it was built up during the course of the marriage. When the couple met, Roman was a struggling businessman selling Russian dolls and rubber ducks. It was only in the 90s, after his marriage, that he took advantage of newly capitalist Russia to create what was, at the time of the divorce, rumoured to be a £12bn fortune. Though the settlement is not clear, it is likely that the couple’s links to England mean the matrimonial assets may have been 'shared' between the parties, entitling Irina to perhaps a multi-billion pound pay-out.”

Chelsea's owner Russian Roman Abramovich seated next to his ex-wife Irina, at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, 2004 (Getty Images)

Bernie and Slavica Ecclestone

“Many would expect the Formula One impresario to have come off worse from a divorce, given his vast wealth, but in fact, he received a payment of over £300m from Slavica. This counter-intuitive result was because Ecclestone had transferred £2.4bn in assets to a Luxemburg trust which his wife was entitled to during a health scare in happier times. As the divorce took place in England, the court was able to use its wide-ranging powers to deal with trust assets, and ordered Slavica to make significant payments back to Bernie. As the parties had been married for 24 years, during which time most of the fortune was built up, she retained a significant share of the assets. The details of the deal only became public when, in 2014, they came before a German court in relation to his trial for alleged bribery.”

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall

Mick Jagger(C) of the Rolling stones with his ex-wife Jerry Hall(R) and his son(L) (Getty Images)

“Lawyers for Jagger argued their Balinese Hindu ceremony meant they were not actually married after their split. Nonetheless, when the marriage was annulled, Hall was entitled to financial provision from Sir Mick’s estimated £200m fortune. The parties had been together for 22 years, making this a “long marriage” in the court’s eyes and entitling Hall to a significant share of the Rolling Stone singer’s fortune, though the court would recognise that much of this was built up before the parties’ 1977 marriage. Again, the details of the deal done are secret, but it has been reported that Hall received around £30m.”

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills