Only a ‘deserving man’ can get maintenance from his wife

I read in newspapers recently that the Bombay High Court has asked a woman to pay alimony to her former husband. I was earning a decent salary till a couple of years ago when I lost my job. I had invested all my earnings in properties, registered either in my wife’s name or us as joint partners. For the past three years, we are living separately — I with my mother at our ancestral home and she with her aunt on our joint property. We are not legally separated yet. Can I claim alimony from her in this context?

— Dinakaran C, Vellore

Even under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, it is only the ‘deserving man’ who can get maintenance from his wife. The relative merits of the parties will be weighed by the court. Your mere loss of employment will not be a good ground to get maintenance from the wife. The question to be answered is after the loss of employment what steps were taken by you to secure another employment. The court will have to consider several relevant factors for granting maintenance to the husband.

Liability in catastrophe will be put on those managing the show

I am planning to lease out my property on hilly terrain to a homestay hospitality group. If anything untoward happens involving the guests there, who will be held responsible? Myself or its administrator? What should I do to immune myself while getting into a contract with the group?

— Aakash, Madhavaram

Normally, in matters of future liability, it is better to indemnify yourself from the new administrator. Even otherwise, in any catastrophe, it is those who manage the show who will be held responsible for dealing with such issues.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed here are of Justice K Chandru, who is providing guidance and direction based on his rich experience and knowledge of the law. This is not a substitute for legal recourse which must be taken as a follow-up if so recommended in these columns