GUIDELINES
Details : A welfare scheme by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) providing Legal and Financial Assistance to the Indian Women in distress, Deserted by their Overseas Indian Spouses, or are facing divorce proceedings in a foreign country.
The counseling and legal services is provided through credible Indian Women’s Organizations / Indian Community Associations / NGOs empanelled with the Indian Missions in the foreign countries.
The assistance is provided directly to the applicant’s legal counsel empanelled with the concerned Indian Mission/Post, or through the Indian Community Associations / Women’s organizations / NGOs* acting on the woman’s behalf.
Benefits : -
1. The Legal Assistance up to seven years after their marriage), provided directly to the applicant’s legal counsel empanelled with the concerned Indian Mission/Post, or through the Indian Community Associations / Women’s organizations / NGOs* acting on the woman’s behalf.
1. The Financial Assistance will be US$ 3000 per case for developed countries and US$ 2000 per case for developing countries
Eligibility : -
1. The applicant must be a female who had solemnized marriage to an Overseas Indian or Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or a Foreigner.
2. The applicant must be holding an Indian Passport.The applicant must have been abandoned / deserted / cheated / abused by her spouse within fifteen years of the marriage.The applicant must not have any criminal case decided against her.
Exclusions
If the applicant has any criminal case decided against her, then in that case she won’t be eligible to apply to this scheme, provided that a criminal charge of Parental Child Abduction shall not be a bar if the custody of the child has not yet been adjudicated upon.
Application Process : -
1. The applicant needs to download the application form from this link -
https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/proforma-legal-assistance.pdf
2. The applicant must take print of the form and fill in the mandatory fields.
3. The applicant must attach the copies of the requested documents to the duly filled application form and send the same to the Indian Mission of the country. The nation wise list of Indian Missions can be found at - https://mea.gov.in/indian-missions-abroad-new.htm
Documents Required : -
1. Proof of Identity
2. Proof of Age / DOB
3. Signed Undertaking about Nationality
4. Signed Undertaking about Average Annual Income in INR
5. Proof of AddressMarriage Certificate
6. Documents pertaining to the number of children from marriage (their DOB, Age & Gender)
7. PassportEmployment Details
8. Documents pertaining to the Date of initiation of divorce proceedings / date of exparte divorce (if any).
9. Documents pertaining to financial assistance being received from any other authority / NGO.
10. Documents pertaining to criminal charges pending or contemplated against the applicant (if any).
Source: https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/proforma-legal-assistance.pdf
