Practice area
Family & Matrimonial
The Family Court is set up to help people settle rather than fight. Where a matter can be closed by agreement it usually should be, and the file is prepared with that in mind from the first day.
What is handled
What this covers
If your problem is not on this list, still ask. Real cases rarely fit neatly into one box.
- Divorce by mutual consent
- Contested divorce and judicial separation
- Child custody and guardianship
- Maintenance, including maintenance during the case
- Domestic violence protection orders
- Dowry harassment cases
The law
Which laws apply here
Listed so you can read them yourself. Nothing on this page can replace advice given on your own facts.
- Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
- Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
- Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
- Family Courts Act, 1984
Questions
Family questions we are asked
Usually six to eighteen months. Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 asks for a six-month gap between the first and second court appearance. The Supreme Court has said this gap can be skipped where the couple has already lived apart a long time and the settlement is genuine. A contested divorce takes much longer.
Yes. You can ask for maintenance during the case under section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, or under section 144 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The court decides it on what each side earns and needs, and it is decided long before the main case is heard.
Have a family & matrimonial problem?
The first meeting sorts out the facts and your real options — including when no case needs to be filed at all.