Alimony: A ticket to ride

Lucknow: Wife ordered to pay maintenance to Husband. (Pssst, she had also filed a case for dowry demand against her husband)

While this comes in as a slap to feminists, it leaves the humanist with some points to ponder with.

That is, is the concept maintenance really justified? Or does it encourage free lunches, giving a free ticket to ride. Genuinly troubled spouses actually want to quit the relation unconditionally. Such cases leave the crook wives with fear on their thinking caps.

Though I was confused and divided on the maintenance to the husbands’ issue. But I feel this as a right time to talk about alimony and maintenance that I have never much talked about. As the attitude of acquiring, demanding, begging is really encouraged by the law in the name of women welfare, but the real victims are not interested, while the crooks encash. Why can’t we look at both the genders equally? By demanding the women generally belittle themselves on one hand then why do they keep on stressing on the other hand that they are stronger. Contradictions Galore.

It is really haunting when your ambitions are killed by a parasite (in the name of separated spouse) who eats up a part of your monthly income {I am not talking of TDS ;)}, but of the alimony which is equally taxing. It means for a certain days of the month you work for your government. And certain days of your month goes to working for the alimony amount for the parasite waiting at the door step to be fed. It all sounds like a grown up dependent child, good for nothing.

It is haunting when you have to pledge some amount every month for the person who has never contributed any good to you, was demanding when together and is demanding when separated, you feel stuck.

The counselor rightly told me when I asked her about the logic for alimony amount. She said “Consider it as an amount pledged to nuisance Value, for the nuisance caused by your spouse.”

In my mumbaiya language I would call it as a monthly “hafta” to the notorious, to keep them at bay. Johny Lever’s Joke, would be apt here, that when a child cries give a nipple in the mouth of the child so that the child shuts up. Crude!!!! but apt.

This case makes my mind and heart conflict with each other. Happy and angry, for both Husband and Wife. Mind on one occasion says this case will open the eyes of the crook ladies; those who are overconfident on the women-favoring-laws, who simply follow the lawyers’ encouraging and misleading advice that actually has a vested interest of the lawyer. They will now think twice before taking steps as this incident will assure, that there may be backfiring.

On other occasions the wife will think twice before joining a job too, this practice anyway is in abundance even now. They want to work when in wedlock and that leads to disputes and divorce and then they want alimony. In such stages, they do work but they take up jobs with hard cash and no bank transactions. E.g tuition, counter sales at a shop, etc. the husband goes berserk in proving her earning status. It takes a good judge to conclude that the wife is capable of earning and the court has no responsibility to acknowledge the laziness of wife.

Heart says why there should be a money settlement in lieu. Will it heal the wound? And what is the reference table for that? All absurd. Why should court encourage such absurd and abstract laws of alimony and maintenance?

Wait, I am not through, Maintenance has to be given for the kids and that to by both parents. The savings in the name of the kids has to be contributed by both parties. Till they grow up. And it should be mandatory for both the spouses to work if they are divorcing, atleast that will keep some of the families intact. But in case of couple without child, it is ridiculous for the law to go on fighting and safeguarding for the good for nothing spouse.

My Heart also berates the spouse who demands. Nothing is appropriate if it is no win win in the right sense. It is okay, upto giving the litigation expenses to the spouse who is miserably unemployed, and against whom the case has been filed. Again everything is case to case. But overall maintenance to childless and healthy spouse is a law that encourages giving a free ticket to ride.

Can anyone tell me “why life sucks and why marriage sucks and why is it all about money?”

Perplexed,

Jinesh Zaveri.

Link to the news.