A 34-year-old IT professional has sparked debate online after sharing her marital troubles on Reddit. In a post titled “Do I have to pay alimony to my husband?”, the woman revealed that she is considering filing for divorce citing mental cruelty, but is unsure about whether she will be required to pay financial support to her spouse.
The techie explained that she earns a package of around ₹75 lakh per annum, while her husband, a 35-year-old government employee, makes about ₹1.2 lakh per month (approximately ₹14 lakh per year). She alleged that he has been financially and emotionally abusive throughout their five-year marriage, and that he is now demanding money from her.
“It was a love marriage, but things have gone downhill. I don’t think he will agree to a mutual divorce without demanding money, so I may have to contest it on grounds of mental cruelty,” she wrote. She further claimed to have call recordings of her husband verbally abusing her, along with bank records to support her allegations.
The woman, who has already moved out of the government quarters where they lived, said she fears for her safety and even asked whether she could file for divorce in a distant state for protection. “I do want to file for divorce but I’m scared for my life,” she added.
The post triggered a wave of responses from Redditors, many of whom weighed in on the legal and financial aspects.
One user noted: “Yes, he can claim alimony if your income was supporting his lifestyle. However, since he also has a stable government job and housing benefits, the amount could be reduced or possibly dismissed if you weren’t funding his lifestyle directly.”
Another pointed out the unusual reversal of roles, writing: “It’s rare to see a wife earning five times more than her husband. In such cases, you’d likely be asked to pay alimony. Courts usually calculate between 20–33% of take-home income as maintenance. Assets like property, cars, stocks, and even gold could also come into the picture, so safeguard them in advance.”
Some, however, came to her defense. One commenter wrote: “He’s a government employee, which means he’s probably earning a lot more through bribes anyway. This seems less about money and more about control. It’s sad to see people siding with him just because he’s the husband. Stay strong—this can happen to anyone, even to their sisters tomorrow.”