Sussanne has allegedly sought Rs 400 crore from Hrithik
Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Roshan (Photo: Varinder Chawla)
Mumbai:The break up of Sussanne Khan and Hrithik Roshan is in the news again with Sussanne reportedly asking for Rs 400 crore as settlement. While it might be an eye-popping amount, city lawyers feel that it is a fair deal if the husband’s net worth is high.
Hyderabad too has had its share of high-profile cases with wives asking for large amounts, houses, cars etc. making the news occasionally.
What’s interesting in these cases is that often the figures released to the press is actually lower than the settlement amount. Supreme Court advocate S. Vani says, “There was a recent high-profile case where the news was that the wife was paid Rs 8 crore, but she got Rs 40 crore.”
Although, to most it would seem as a huge amount, senior advocate C.V.L. Narsimha Rao says, “It all depends on the capacity of the husband. If he’s earning well and is in a position to willingly offer as much, it’s only fair that the woman gets the amount. In case of celebs, they try to settle outside court. They are first sent for counseling and if things get worse, the court interferes and decide on a fair division.”
How does one arrive at a fair figure? S. Vani says, “The quantum of alimony depends on the needs of the wife and children. The wife is entitled to live in the same luxurious standard as the husband does. If the situation between the couple is very bad, the settlement is lesser. In high profile cases they would rather not be in the news for too long on this topic and thus, often agree on a lesser amount.”
Tagging the woman as the “marriage casualty”, advocate Supriya Ghosh says, “Many a time, women have high profile jobs, but they have to willingly or unwillingly give them up to start a family. In this case, she becomes dependent on her husband. And during a divorce, the settlement becomes proportional to the earning of the spouse. One needs to know that the settlement is not just dependent on the stagnant money. Property is also inclusive where the woman can ask for a house to live in. Most of these cases take a lot of time to settle, but in cases of celebrities, they voluntarily give the money; like in the case of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, Saif had willingly given the money.”
Rhea Pillai, who had asked for alimony from her partner Leander Paes even though they were never married, had raised many eyebrows. But Narsimha says, “The law recognises relationships where the man and woman have stayed together for a long time. In such a case, either of them is liable to proper maintenance and also the welfare of the children has to be taken care of.”
However, the transfer of money stops once the woman decides to get married again. “If it is a monthly alimony, it stops when the woman remarries. The children’s share is transferred to a fixed deposit and the woman can use it for the benefit of the children. In cases where the father has the custody of the children, the wife is entitled only to her own alimony,” says Vani.
( Source : dc )
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