Cheryl Cole's legal separation from footballer husband Ashley Cole starts in London's High Court today.

The Fight for This Love singer split from the soccer player in February after reports that he had been unfaithful with numerous women. 

District Judge Christopher Simmonds is expected to grant the court order in a short hearing, and their four-year marriage will officially be over when the decree absolute is granted in six weeks.

The estranged couple asked the court to keep their names off the legal documents, and their case has been listed as "CAC v AC", for Cheryl Ann Cole and Ashley Cole.

The 27-year-old pop star is not expected to attend court as she is currently taking time out in America, where she is recuperating after falling ill with malaria.

A source told The Sun: "Cheryl is in the States but is watching things very closely. She is relieved and pleased things have progressed significantly since her illness. She just wants to move on with her life and getting the divorce done will end a very painful chapter.

"It must not be forgotten Cheryl did not ask for this – the last thing she expected was to be a divorcee at 27. But once she accepted there was no way the marriage could work without the trust destroyed by her husband, the pill was a slightly less bitter one to swallow. She and Ashley have no need to stay in touch and all housing and assets will be handled by their legal representatives."

Cheryl has previously told friends she didn’t want anything from Ashley, but the couple are reportedly planning to split their assets equally, while Cheryl will have custody of their two dogs.

The Girls Aloud star announced her separation on Twitter, and filed for divorce citing the sportsman's unreasonable behaviour after he sent photographs of himself in his underwear and raunchy text messages to other women.