Advocate Sowbhagyalaxmi Hegde

Many couples assume that if one spouse dies, the other automatically gets everything. When there are no children, this is often not true. Parents, siblings and in-laws can have a legal claim, and the source of the property matters a great deal. This article explains the rules for Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist couples under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, and briefly covers other communities. Nominee vs. Legal Heir: Know the Difference A nominee is the person named in your bank account, mutual fund, FD, PF or insurance policy to receive the money after your death. For most assets, the nominee is only a custodian who collects the money on behalf of the legal heirs. Life insurance is the main exception, where a nominee who is a close relative is generally treated as the beneficiary. A legal heir is the person entitled to your property under succession law if you die without a will, or under your will if you leave one. So naming your spouse as nominee does not guarantee that the...

  Most freelance horror stories start the same way: a friendly conversation, a handshake (or a WhatsApp thumbs-up), and a project that quietly goes off the rails. The client keeps adding "one small thing." The invoice sits unpaid for three months. Someone else claims ownership of the work. Nobody remembers what was actually agreed. A well-written freelancer agreement prevents almost all of this. It isn't about distrust. It's about making sure both sides share the same expectations before work begins. This guide walks through what a freelancer agreement should contain, why each clause matters, and what to watch out for. What Is a Freelancer Agreement? A freelancer agreement (also called an independent contractor agreement or freelance contract) is a written contract between a freelancer and a client. It defines the work to be done, how and when the freelancer will be paid, who owns the result, and what happens if things go wrong. It protects both parties. Freel...

If you're paying or about to pay alimony, you've probably heard some version of this: "The judge doesn't care what she could earn, only what she does earn." That's not true, and believing it can cost you tens of thousands of Rupees over the life of a support order. Courts don't just look at a spouse's pay stub. They look at what that spouse is capable of earning and if there's a gap between the two, it is good if you convince the court to close it. This isn't a fringe legal theory. It's a well-established doctrine used in every state, and it's often the single biggest lever available to a paying spouse who thinks the numbers don't reflect reality. Here's how that actually plays out in practice, and what to do about it. The Core Idea in One Sentence “A judge can calculate alimony based on what your spouse should be earning, not what she says she earns if you prove she's capable of more.” This is called "imputing inco...