What women should know before getting married

From wedding gifts to matrimonial property…  this lawyer breaks down what women need to know about their rights as a wife.

Transcript

00:00All those gifts that you get during your wedding are tax-free.

00:12I'm sure a lot of you ladies go through this when it comes to changing your surname after

00:17marriage, whether you should or whether you shouldn't, whether you want to retain your

00:21own identity or you want to take on the identity of the family that you get married to.

00:26Just remember that there is no law in the country which requires you to change your surname.

00:31It's only a cultural practice which has come down generations which asks us to change our

00:38surname. So it's your choice. If you want to change your surname, go ahead. And if you don't

00:42want to, there's nothing requiring you to do so. Just in case a marriage has been called off

00:51just before the wedding by the bride or the groom, then the other party can actually go

00:56to the civil court and claim compensation for the expenses that has already been made for the marriage.

01:04You know the best part about getting married are all those fancy gifts that you get.

01:09And the even better news is that all those gifts that you get during your wedding

01:13are tax-free. Yes, you're exempt from tax, no matter the cost and no matter the kind of gift.

01:22You know, inter-religious marriages are absolutely legal in the country.

01:26But it's important for you to get married the right way for your marriage to be legal and valid

01:32as per the law. Now in India, all marriages are governed by religious personal laws. So two

01:38Hindus can get married under the Hindu laws, two Muslims under the Muslim personal laws,

01:42and two Christians under the Christian laws. So in case you belong to two different religions,

01:48you need to get registered and get married under the special marriage act

01:52for your marriage to be legal and valid as per the law.

01:58If you ladies find yourself in some kind of trouble and you need an advocate to represent

02:03you for that, but you're hesitant to go to one because you think their fee is way too much and

02:08you won't be able to afford it. Remember that women and children have right to free legal aid

02:12in this country. So if you want a lawyer for free, the government will provide you one.

02:17All you need to do is approach the legal services authority

02:21in the court complex in your city, or you can also go online and make an application on

02:26nalsa.gov.in and you get a pro bono lawyer to fight your case.

02:36Did you know that the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act not only protects women

02:41from abuse from their husband or in-laws, but also domestic violence by their parents,

02:47brothers, sisters, or anyone or any relative that they live in a shared household with.

02:53And domestic violence doesn't only mean physical violence. The act covers all kinds of abuse,

02:59such as sexual, verbal, emotional, financial, and economic abuse.

03:10Did you know that women have absolutely no ownership rights over the house of her husband

03:15or her in-laws or the matrimonial home she stays in.

03:18She only has a right to stay in that matrimonial house and not be thrown out at any point of time.

03:27Hey, here is some good news. Hindu women have a right to share in the property of their parents

03:33even after marriage. Yes, as per the Hindu Succession Act,

03:37both the son and the daughter have equal share to parents' property.