'No alimony nation': China’s 2025 reforms spark debate, will India follow suit?

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Asset Shock

A Beijing apartment bought during marriage? If your name’s not on the receipt, it's not yours. China’s new “Who Paid, Owns” rule redefines fairness—and it's a seismic shift for spouses everywhere.

Alimony Vanish

No paycheck, no fallback. China’s refusal to mandate alimony means stay-at-home spouses walk away with little to nothing—unless they locked in a deal before signing the divorce.

Cool-Off Trap

The 30-day “cooling-off” rule may sound calming—but for victims of abuse or coercion, it’s a legal cage. One withdrawal cancels the divorce, no questions asked.

Mom’s Basement

Parents gifting homes to their sons? Under the new law, it stays the husband’s—even if his wife shared the mortgage. Property law just took a hard traditionalist turn.

Paper Inequity

Joint ownership on paper? Meaningless if your money didn’t fund it. The law now sides with receipts, not relationships—prompting uproar among women’s rights groups.

Marriage Sprint

While divorce gets tougher, getting hitched is suddenly a breeze. China’s scrapped regional rules, making marriage as easy as clicking “yes”—a curious contrast in state policy.

Homemaker Blow

Non-financial contributions—raising kids, running a home—now hold zero legal weight in asset division. Critics warn this shift could push women out of marriage altogether.

Legal Whiplash

From 50/50 splits to strict financial proof, the property division overhaul has stunned lawyers—many now advising prenups as standard survival strategy.

Stability or Control?

Officials say the laws promote family stability. But opponents argue it’s state-managed marriage, reshaping love and legality to solve birthrate anxiety.