The woman who earned a higher salary than her husband was considered to be a reason for divorce because she did not contribute to the household expenses and instead invested her money.

Accountant İsmail A, who lived in Ankara, filed for divorce on the grounds that his wife Fatma A, who worked as a manager in a private company, did not contribute to the household and their child's expenses despite earning more than him, invested her salary in the stock market, purchased land with her income, and covered all bills and expenses such as kitchen costs herself.

WIFE WHO DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES IS FULLY AT FAULT

The Ankara 2nd Family Court determined that the claims of the plaintiff spouse were substantiated by the defendant's statements, social security, title deed, and bank records, ruling that the defendant spouse was fully at fault. The court, which found that the spouse subjected to economic violence had no fault, ruled for the couple's divorce.

THE SAME DECISION CAME FROM THE HIGHER COURT

Fatma A appealed the decision, claiming that her husband's allegations were false and that the fault determination was incorrect. However, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court also stated that there was no error in the decision of the first-instance court and upheld the ruling.

In the Supreme Court's decision, it was emphasized that the defendant Fatma A did not fulfill her obligation as stated in the Turkish Civil Code: "Spouses are obliged to jointly ensure the happiness of the union and to take care of the child together, to assist each other, and to contribute to the expenses of the union in proportion to their means with their labor and assets." It was also pointed out that the defendant woman acted indifferently towards her husband and their joint child, did not contribute to the expenses of the household and the joint child, thus making the marriage unbearable. In light of this situation, it was stated that the defendant woman should be considered completely at fault for the events leading to the divorce.

"MY CLIENT IS EXHAUSTED"

Ismail A's lawyer, Senem Yılmazel, stated that according to Article 186 of the Turkish Civil Code, both men and women are obliged to contribute to the expenses of the marriage union with their own assets and labor, reminding that despite her husband earning a higher salary, she did not contribute to any expenses of the marriage.

Yılmazel stated that they proved all claims with bank records, saying, "My client covered all expenses such as electricity, water, and dues, and took on every economic responsibility such as vacations and travels they went on together. However, his wife only purchased land for herself or saved money in the bank and did not take on any of the economic responsibilities of the marriage. There are many responsibilities and obligations in marriage; however, she led a very individual life, which caused my client to become exhausted and file for divorce. We proved this with bank and title deed records."

"SHE WAS GOING TO LOOK AT LAND EVERY SUNDAY"

Pointing out that all responsibilities and obligations of the marriage fell on her client and that her client was overwhelmed by this, Yılmazel said, "According to my client, his wife was going to look at land every Sunday and had bought quite a bit of land. Besides that, she invested her money in cryptocurrency and the stock market. The bank records clearly showed where her salary and money were transferred. Therefore, since the case was proven with solid evidence, it resulted in our favor."