Alimony for men: Double standards?

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TV actress Shweta Tiwari is locked in a rather bitter public spat with estranged spouse Raja Chaudhary over whether or not she will pay him “alimony”. Raja’s demands have come as big surprise to many men, who believe it’s wrong for a man to ask for maintenance from his wife.

Now, when a man and woman separate, it is taken for granted that the husband will pay alimony to his wife, but a woman paying alimony to her husband after divorce has connotations that go entirely beyond the legal aspects. What makes the case so very different? Why isn’t the notion of a woman paying alimony considered egalitarian especially since both the Hindu Marriage Act and the Parsi Marriage Act grants equal alimony rights to both partners in a situation like this?
Matrimonial lawyer Mrunalini Sharma says she has come across only two cases where a husband has been granted alimony from the wife. “If the husband is unable to support himself or there’s a huge difference between his earning and the wife’s earning, then he’s entitled for alimony. Although there’s a provision for such a thing, a lot of men find it socially unacceptable,” she says.
Divorce lawyer Thamnesh Shetty of Shetty and Associates, says that there are only one out of 100 divorce cases, when a husband seeks alimony from the wife. But the problem is not just in social perception but also in the court of law. “Even though Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act grants equal rights to both partners, it’s very difficult for a man to prove that he merits alimony. The family courts are made to give justice to women,” he adds.
Actor Raja Chaudhary when contacted said, “As a couple you never plan for divorce, all you do is plan a family. We have spent a lot of money together in buying houses, cars, and other things, but just because the marriage didn’t work out, should I be thrown out of the house. How is that justice? And why should I be judged in demanding a part of something where I have invested my money.”
Ad filmmaker and theatre personality Alyque Padamsee shares a similar viewpoint. “You expect the husband to support the wife post divorce, then why shouldn’t the wife do the same for the husband?” he asks.