Indian Partnership Act, 1932 · Chapter V: Incoming and Outgoing Partners
Section 37: Right of outgoing partner in certain cases to share subsequent profits
Where any member of a firm has died or otherwise ceased to be a partner, and the surviving or continuing partners carry on the business of the firm with the property of the firm without any final settlement of accounts as between them and the outgoing partner or his estate, then, in the absence of a contract to the contrary, the outgoing partner or his estate is entitled at the option of himself or his representatives to such share of the profits made since he ceased to be a partner as may be attributable to the use of his share of the property of the firm or to interest at the rate of six per cent. per annum on the amount of his share in the property of the firm:
Provided that where by contract between the partners an option is given to surviving or continuing partners to purchase the interest of a deceased or outgoing partner, and that option is duly exercised, the estate of the deceased partner, or the outgoing partner or his estate, as the case may be, is not entitled to any further or other share of profits; but if any partner assuming to act in exercise of the option does not in all material respects comply with the terms thereof, he is liable to account under the foregoing provisions of this section.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 37
- Shreedhar Govind Kamerkar v. Yesahwant Govind Kamerkar and Anr.
- Pamuru Vishnu Vinodh Reddy v. Chillakuru Chandrasekhara Reddy and Ors.
- Sri Jagatram Ahuja v. The Commissioner of Gift Tax, Hyderabad
- Khushal Khemgar Shah & Ors. v. Khorshed Banu Dadiba Boatwalla and Anr.
- Laxmidas Dahyabhai Kabarwala v. Nanabhai Chunilal Kabarwala and Ors.
- Shank.Ar Sitaram Sontakke and Another v. Balkrishna Sitarmi Sontakke And. Others