Vladimir Potanin pays $220 thousand in alimonies

Natalia Potanina, the ex-wife of Vladimir Potanin, received on April 10 approximately $220 thousand in alimonies for raising an underage son. The Presnensky Court of Peace passed the judgment on the divorce and payment of alimonies in the amount equal to 25% of the father’s monthly earnings on February 25.

Tatiana Starikova, a noted advocate, believes that such a large sum of alimonies, which is out of proportion with the actual needs of the 13-year old Vasily, who lives with his mother in the USA, is due to the inflexibility of the Russian family law.

Tatiana Starikova said: “Our legislation stipulates a completely clear sum of alimonies – 25% of income of the former spouse, no matter if he earns 30 thousand roubles or millions. The courts of the European countries and the USA fix the size of the alimonies taking into consideration the actual standard of life of the child and the child’s needs. If the parent earns $1000, the court may decide that the child is entitled to 50%. If the parent’s income is large enough, that percentage may be lower. According to statistics, the average alimonies in the USA are set at 9-10% of the former spouse’s salary. If the parents own billions, this does not mean that the child will receive billions as alimonies. For example, the state of New York fixes the maximum alimonies for one child at $100 thousand per year”.

Mme. Starikova believes that there is another crucial problem in the Russian legislation – the absence of the provision on the reporting of the receiver of the alimonies: “The mother receives alimonies for an underage child, and the law does not oblige her to report the spending of the alimonies. The amount, which Vladimir Potanin actually pays for his schoolchild son, obviously far exceeds his actual needs. It would be good to know, what this money will be spent on – deposited on the child’s special account for payment of his future education, for example, or for some other things”.