Hardik Pandya divorce: How much property and maintenance does Natasa Stankovic have under Indian law? | cricket.one

Hardik Pandya divorces his wife Natasa Stankovic after 4 years of relationship (X.com)

In an unfortunate turn of events, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has announced his separation from his wife, model-turned-actor Natasa Stankovic. After weeks of speculation, the two shared a joint Instagram post to confirm the divorce.

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic got engaged in 2020 and were blessed with a son, Agastya.

The couple later had a grand wedding ceremony in Udaipur in 2023. However, due to irreconcilable differences, the couple separated.

However, since the couple was married under Indian law, Natasa has rights to Hardik's property and overall assets.

With this in mind, let us look at some of the rights of divorced women in India.

Property rights

Under Indian law, a divorced woman can claim her share of property owned jointly with her husband. If a man has complete control over a property, the divorced wife can still claim an allowance according to her needs.

However, to claim a property, the wife must provide proof of her contribution. Failure to do so may result in loss of claim to the said property. However, she may continue to reside in the property until the divorce proceedings are finalized.

Furthermore, the wife's property remains her sole property and she can sell, give away or rent it as she pleases.

Maintenance rights

According to Section 125 of the Indian Penal Code, a wife can claim maintenance for herself and her child in case of separation or divorce. These maintenance claims are further divided into two categories.

A separated wife can claim financial support from her spouse during the divorce proceedings. She can claim this from the date the lawsuit is filed until the divorce is finalized in court.

An estranged wife can claim either a lump sum or a monthly maintenance payment from her husband under Section 25 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956.

The amount of alimony is determined by the court taking into account various factors such as the status of the couple, financial situation, duration of the marriage, number of children and many more.

In particular, a working woman is also entitled to maintenance if there is a large difference between her income and that of her spouse.