Family Law

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Civil Procedure

INTRODUCTION:

It is trite law that a personal action or claim extinguishes with the death of a person. This principle has been appropriately captured in the common law maxim – “action personalismoritur cum persona”, which is the Latin equivalent for “a personal right of action dies with the person”. The maxim, however, has limited application on cases, such as (i) a defamatory action, (ii) criminal proceedings in lieu of personal injury not amounting to murder, (iii) where the grant of any relief in a suit would be nugatory owing to the death of a party, etc. However, where a judgement debtor dies before fully satisfying a money payment decree, the decree holder can apply to the court that had passed the decree to get the decree executed against the legal representatives and/ or legal heirs of the deceased judgement debtor. Here, the above mentioned common law maxim has no application. In this paper, we will discuss the extent of liability of a legal heir in such a situation where the judgement debtor has expired before the execution of a money decree.…

Continue Reading Liability of Legal Heirs Vis-À-Vis Code of Civil Procedure

Fund structures are gaining popularity among wealthy individuals in India as optimum structures to help with wealth planning, investments, and tax management. Family offices are viewing GIFT City, India’s first international financial services centre (“IFSC”), for the purpose of facilitating global investments in a structured manner. …

Continue Reading IFSCA Relaxes Rules for Family Investment Funds in GIFT City

Transferred Property

Introduction

Fifteen years ago, senior citizens (citizens aged 60 years and above), were provided the benefit of statutory protection for certain vital rights under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (Senior Citizens Act). These rights included the right to reclaim property gifted or transferred to children or heirs.…

Continue Reading Senior Citizens: Supreme Court clarifies position on reclaiming conditional gift

HUF Property
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 7th December, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

I want to transfer certain shares from my elder brother’s HUF (Hindu undivided family) account to my individual account as he is more than 75 years old now. I am not a member of his HUF. What is the legal procedure to transfer these stocks?

—Name withheld on request…

Continue Reading What is the legal procedure to transfer shares from my brother’s HUF account?

Should I write a will or form a trust to distribute my assets
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 1st November, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

I am 76 years old and hence want to write a will. I have two houses worth ₹2 crore. We are living in one of the houses and the other is rented for ₹75,000 per month. We also booked a shop having a resale value of ₹1 crore. I have ₹1.6 crore in mutual funds and ₹65 lakh in shares. 

I have a wife and a daughter. I want all my assets to be given to my wife and thereafter to a trust that should decide on monthly distribution  of income from the assets to my daughter and grandson. Thereby, I want to ensure that the assets generate wealth without being misused by anyone. Please guide me on how I should go about setting up a trust.

—Name withheld on request…

Continue Reading Should I write a will or form a trust to distribute my assets?

Do FDs accrue interest after owner’s death
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 4th October, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

My parents died and I am their nominee in the various fixed deposits (FDs) they left behind. The FDs will mature on different dates in the next two years. Can I withdraw an FD at the time of maturity? What would be rate of interest payable on these deposits from the date of death of parents till the maturity date. Also, is it compulsory for the nominee to withdraw all FDs after the death of the holder?

—Name withheld on request…

Continue Reading Do FDs accrue interest after owner’s death?

Dissolution of HUF
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 21st July, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

What are the steps that a woman needs to take to transfer shares to her son upon the dissolution of a HUF (Hindu undivided family)?

—Name withheld on request …

Continue Reading How a woman can transfer shares to her son on dissolution of HUF

Can my mother who is not a coparcener be karta in HUF
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 25th May, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

My father, who was the karta of our HUF (Hindu undivided family), with my mother, elder sister and I as members, died two years ago. Thereafter, the bank where the HUF account is held is insisting on transferring it only to my elder sister.

Under the circumstances, is there any possibility for my mother to become the karta of the HUF? What is the relevant legal section that needs to be quoted for necessitating a transfer to my mother’s name? Additionally, will there be a change in the PAN (permanent account number)  after transfer of the HUF? Will it also lead to a change in the name of the HUF? 

—Name withheld on request …

Continue Reading Can my mother who is not a coparcener be karta in HUF?

Can I show my rental income in HUF account
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 16th May, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

I am the karta of a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) firm. My coparceners are my wife and son. I am retired and only have rental income from a house inherited from my mother through her probated will. 

Can I show my rental income in my HUF bank account? And, as and when I sell that house, can I show the sale proceeds in the HUF account? For this, do I need to transfer the  house to HUF? If yes, then what is the procedure? Isn’t the property automatically treated as HUF property, as I am also the karta of the HUF? 

What process is required to be followed in case the property is to be bequeathed after the demise of the testator which is as per the registered Will in Delhi after the mutation has been done in the municipal records. It needs to be further clarified whether the process of probate is also to be followed in Delhi or if a succession certificate is sufficient and who would issue the same?

…
Continue Reading Can I show my rental income in HUF account?