Samar Inam Khan graduated from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2003. At present, he is a Matrimonial Lawyer, divorce mediator, Arbitrator and a Criminal and Civil Lawyer as well. He is also a chairman of his own founded Law Firm which is still Sole Proprietorship Firm namely Legal Experts India.
In this interview he talks to us about:
- His law school experience.
- Why he chose matrimonial matters.
- His own law firm- Legal Experts India.
- Most challenging part of being a chairman at his own founded law firm.
How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am a Matrimonial Lawyer, divorce mediator, Arbitrator and having Criminal and Civil Lawyer as well, touched almost all spheres of law including IPR, thoroughly saw how law manipulated by lawyers and also saw how judges do injustice in many cases.
Judges sometimes do not recognize law and misses or try to miss the citations and give relief to the party who do not deserve to get such relief, these things usually happens in lower courts and when the other person goes for higher court by way of appeal or revision, they get actually justice.
In many cases party lose faith in judicial system which in my own opinion, citizen of India believe in.
What motivated you to gravitate towards law? If not law, what other options would you have considered for your career?
Law is always my first choice and I never been gravitated because it is such a procedure in which I believe citizen will actually get justice.
If I was not a Lawyer I chose to be a real Journalist.
Tell us about your law school experience. Share some highlights from your college days that shaped you as a lawyer.
I graduated Law from Jamia Millia Islamia, the experience was wonderful but what I saw or experienced was there was a split; politics was something attracted by many students because of faculty, the senior faculty member were not into any split hence there was three major splits, one and other against each other and the third one was neutral.
These things made students more mature so that as and when they entered into practice, they knew they will face similar approach within the court between the lawyers, and exactly the same happened, many of pass outs after few years left and joined some corporates as their representatives, only few left who had patience. Patience is the most important tool to get into practice.
Why did you choose matrimonial matters? What motivated you to choose that?
Marriages are broken, love birds get married and after love and affection in three- four months, expectations increases, the result of which one or the other partner gets frustrated, which causes disturbances, fights between families starts, It is the emotional and the physical needs of a man and a woman that bring them into a relationship which then culminates in a marriage. In days gone by, couples were more tolerant of each other and let go many matters to save their marriage because it was unacceptable for a marriage to breakup.
Physical and/or mental abuse: This is one of the major factors which finally bring about a breakup of a marriage. This is caused by the sadistic attitude of one of the partners which was kept covered up before a marriage. The spouse who gets the brunt of it, is kept under control, and is intimidated and manipulated. There is less chance for such a relationship to continue for long.
Attraction towards another of the opposite gender: This happens because of one spouse does not give time enough for his/her partner. Communication gap, in words or physically, may develop between the two which, as it widens, paves the way for attraction of one spouse/partner towards another person of the opposite gender.
Cheating and Infidelity: When a spouse begins to get attracted towards an unmarried person or one who is married, intimate relationships between the two develop and deepen and if the developing intimacy is not noticed by any one, it may end up in infidelity. This may go one for a long time till it is discovered causing devastation to the marriage/s and breakups.
Constant humiliation before others: One spouse/partner may be less empathetic than the other; they have no inhibitions in speaking ill of their partner/spouse before other people. The targeted spouse is always made to feel that s/he is ‘good for nothing’; there is no regard for his/her dignity and sentiments. This is because of the selfish attitude of the targeting spouse who shows off to people that life of the two together would never be as good as it is at present without her/him. The suffering partner is invariably made to feel inferior. S/he may even have to undergo humiliation by his/her spouse before others about his/her inability to bear children.
Constant nagging: This is again an attitude of a partner/spouse to keep the other at his/her beck-and-call. The targeted partner has to bear up with the other partner’s constant fault-finding, complaints, scolding, criticisms and frequent sarcastic remarks. There is no concern for the feelings or the respect of the partner. The tendency to nag is more common with women than with men. This is done in an effort to adjust their partner to their standards of living. When the targeted partner does things to please his/her partner, s/he comes up with new ‘points of improvements’. The suffering partner may tolerate it for a long or a short time but the breakup is inevitable.
Repeated comparison of one’s partner with another man or woman: One partner may constantly compare his/her spouse/partner with others simply belittling them, trying to tell them that their lifestyle is not of a calibre which s/he desires. The targeted spouse/partner generally ends up developing an inferiority complex; s/he tries to match up to the standards of their partner to maintain peace and keep the relationship/marriage intact but it is of little use and it ends up in a breakup.
These things causes break-up between the couple, as and when any family intrude in a matrimonial life, things will go away, and causes number of litigations, fake allegations which actually crafted and drafted by a lawyer, many of lawyers only works for their greed to earn more fee/income.
I first try to resolve the issues between the couple, if fails, try to let the couple go for pre-litigation before trained mediator, if that fails, only then I try to get things go as it should.
There are number of fake cases registered under section 498-A, wives try to conceal their income in PWDV Act and 125 Cr.P.C cases, such things actually motivated me to be a matrimonial expert to get the truth before the Court.
What skills and qualities do you think have helped you achieve your current position and stature?
Hard work, Patience, mediation, preparing cases at my own/self-drafting, being a good listener, Sharp memory, making arguments at my own, self-reliant, self-dependent, creating like-minded team and team work.
Please tell us something about your own law firm- Legal Experts India.
Legal Experts India was started by me as Sole-Proprietor in 2004, where I was alone in the said year, I took the risk of not getting any penny, thereafter I connected with few corporates for Arbitration, I myself designated as Sole- Arbitrator, and then the firm started working, now we have litigants, Arbitrators, IPR specialists lawyers at different parts of the country on Panel basis, at New Delhi itself we have Six Associates and we have base at Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well.
Legal Experts India is at glooming stage and now we are expanding at faster pace.
What falls within the scope of your responsibility? Tell us about a typical work day.
I as Chairman of the firm designate my associates what matters he/she should engaged into, I myself argue in the cases, be it any case, I try to boost up my interns and new associates, I try to gauge their mind-set what they actually wants to do, I let my juniors be free of any stress and call them associate only, I never let them call me Sir, I ask them to call me by my name only, so to feel easy.
My typical work day is to reach court directly, ask associates whether they are prepared for the case, if not I myself appear before the court because I usually get myself prepared a night before, guide them what to do, then in chamber I starts drafting and checking out citations, same I direct to my associates to do, in the end of day I check all files, get prepared myself for other day and then tell my associates in which case and court they are required to appear.
I do not try my associates to have so much stress; we at Legal Experts India leave office by 5 Pm so my associates also have social life as well.
What is the most challenging or stressful part of being a chairman at your own founded law firm?
The most challenging one was the start-up, I started it without having too much knowledge of all the spheres of law, I stood against few very senior lawyers those days, but courage and patience wins the game.
Thereafter choosing the right associates was another challenge and I chose only few, but those days were as stressful as I was apprehended if I chose the right ones or not.
What do law firms in India look for in potential candidates? What must a law student do to get hired in a top-tier law firm?
Be it top-tier or mediocre, to get into a law firm students need to read about the law firm a day or two before, what they actually wants, and be just on topics, student should show curiosity to join and work without any time boundations, students should also know whether their work will be admired, they must not expect too much salary in start.
At the time of interview be just and proper, wear formal cloths, and never show from which background they are, at the time of interview they should have eye to eye contact, and never approach indirectly.
What should be your parting message to our readers?
Struggle is not just word, it speaks and its sounds louder, a Legal Practitioner practicing for more than 5 years and not earning too much, never underestimate him, he is having much more knowledge to gauge and perform.
As and when he starts earning good the people around who underestimated him will only watch, and he will not turn back to them.
In short never underestimate a practicing lawyer.
