From,the,Executive,Editor

　　Of the many marriage vows the one that is perhaps common to all religions is the one that the union between the newlyweds will be for perpetuity. As they say at Christian weddings: Till death do us part. This vow may be worded differently in other religions but the theme remains the same. Sadly, things can change. We’re all human, and we can fall out of love as quickly as we fell in. While most marriages in India do last the full distance, there are not-so-uncommon instances when the ship of matrimony sails into rough seas and begins to founder. The lives that seemed inextricably linked during happier times begin to come asunder. The reasons for marital discord could be many, but when differences become irreconcilable, the painful process of untying those knots has to begin to prepare for life ahead. Marriages are said to be made in heaven, but divorce is most certainly a very earthly affair. As the couple part ways, there are many issues of life and livelihood that need to be sorted out. Right alongside the emotional disruption is financial trouble. How does one maintain lifestyles when living separately and how does even an amicable divorce provide for the living expenses of the non-earning spouse or the one who does not earn enough? Who will pay the alimony and how much will that be? How do two “exes” take care of joint debts? How do you separate assets such as the house that is under joint ownership? What happens to the bank deposits and the jewellery, some of which came as a gift at the wedding? Who pays the insurance premia and what happens to the nominations? And then there is the huge issue of the children’s education, their healthcare, and we all know that children are the most vulnerable in any divorce. In our cover package we discuss all these difficult questions and more. Just as we write on the need to buy adequate life insurance protection while hoping that the cover will never need to be invoked by the beneficiary, we wish all marriages will be blessed with everlasting love and happiness. However, divorce is becoming commonplace. Though there are no official statistics on divorce rates in India, the reality is that an increasing number of couples are approaching family courts to dissolve their marriages as is evident from the fact mentioned in the cover story(pg 22) that the number of judges hearing divorce cases has grown sharply during recent years. Our cover package is an effort to educate our readers in the financial implications of non-contested mutualconsent divorces. Contested divorce proceeding are in the realm of the courts and their interpretation of circumstances and law after hearing both parties. We hope the knowledge gained comes in handy for someone you know who may be struggling to find the way through these difficult waters.

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