The typical Indian TV serial villain is a “model woman” donning a flimsy sari and dramatic makeup. We watch her portrayed as constantly scheming and plotting how to get control over the family home, how to get her manicured clutches into her husband’s hard earned money or fraudulently get his property transferred into her name.
Her marriage is depicted as purely for money. Her dramatic expressions and manipulating manner keep us engrossed until the next episode.
But the reality of this rather exaggerated scenario is more common than we think.
The Indian community likes to think marriage as the pinnacle of trust, love and devotion.
Irrespective of their religion or school of thought, people in the community consider marriage as a sacred union between two people who are best suited for each another.
Yet, despite our desire to believe that every marriage is a unification based purely on love and trust why is it that we are now more frequently than ever exposed to the notion of our fellow Indians marrying purely for money?
We have all heard of it – whether through the hushed voice of elders, news items or community gossip – celebrities, tycoons or ordinary people, walking away from marriage with a hefty chunk of their livelihood.
This practice is not gender specific, despite the fact that we are more commonly shown women in this villainous role in the media, men are also involved.
“Will my partner take away all that I have?”
This question is often raised by Indians from every walk of life, who have made sacrifices and worked hard to acquire wealth for their parents, children or family. They suddenly find themselves the subject of divorce or separation, feeling duped, dumped and vulnerable.
Legally, how much money, property or assets your partner is entitled to upon separation is governed by The Property (Relationships) Act 1976.
The Act contains special rules through which property is shared when a relationship ends.
The laws however apply differently, depending on the duration of the marriage and other factors that are taken into account.
If the marriage, de-facto or civil union relationship is at least three years in duration, then, property such as family home, vehicles and household contents including appliances and furniture will be shared equally.
You can however contract out of Act, where you and your partner can make your own arrangements on how the property will be divided on separation.
Such arrangements can be made before, during or after your relationship ends.
The area of the law is however very intricate. ‘Property’ is defined as ‘Separate or Relationship Property’ and is dealt with accordingly.
The act is only triggered when the couple cannot agree on how to divide their property or if one of them applies for a Family court Order.
If you are faced with a separation or simply seeking to have your relationship property dealt with, it is important that you seek the services of a qualified lawyer so that you could be properly informed of all the options available to you.
As we start to lose faith in the sanctity of marriage and watch the TV serial villain scheming to get grips on their partner’s money, heartlessly scheming and manipulating, we must realise that despite the conniving planning, the villain always gets caught in the end, with his or her true colours exposed.
Marriages for money in our community may be on the rise, but they can be overcome by good views imparted among the younger generation, valuing trust and honesty. Collective community effort to base marriages on a union between two minds and souls rather than two bank balances will also help.
Serish Khan is a law graduate from the University of Auckland. She is currently working as a junior lawyer at the Auckland based Khan & Associates, specialising in Immigration Law.
Email: serish.khan@gmail.com Website: www.khans.co.nz
Photo : A TV Serial that bespeaks ‘female diabolism.’
