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Divorce, custody and maintenance.
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Family law governs the relationships people are born into and the ones they choose — marriage, separation, children, maintenance and inheritance. In India it is not one statute but several, and which applies depends on the religion of the parties or on whether the marriage was solemnised under the Special Marriage Act.
These matters are as much emotional as legal, and the right lawyer is the one who tells you plainly what is achievable. Most family disputes pass through mediation before they are contested, and a settlement reached there is almost always faster, cheaper and less damaging than a decade of litigation.
Tap a matter to see the lawyers who handle exactly that, not just the broad area.
Ending a marriage on the grounds your personal law allows.
A negotiated separation both spouses agree to, with settled terms.
Who the child lives with, and on what visitation arrangement.
Monthly support and one-time settlement between spouses.
Protection, residence and monetary orders under the 2005 Act.
Legally securing an adoption under the correct statute.
Appointment of a guardian for a minor’s person or property.
Establishing who inherits, and in what share.
A petition seeking the return of a spouse who has withdrawn.
Registering a marriage, including under the Special Marriage Act.
If any of these describe your situation, it is worth speaking to a lawyer early.
Whether by mutual consent or contested, the grounds and the waiting period differ by the law that governs your marriage.
Courts decide by the welfare of the child, not by the preference of either parent.
Interim maintenance can be ordered while the main case is still running.
Protection, residence and monetary orders are available under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
Succession rights — particularly daughters’ rights in ancestral property — are often wrongly assumed to be settled.
Adoption must follow the correct statute and be recorded properly to be legally secure.
Bringing these to the first consultation saves a hearing later.
Every matter differs, but most follow roughly this sequence.
The lawyer establishes which law governs your marriage, what relief is realistic, and whether a settlement is worth attempting first.
The petition is filed before the Family Court having jurisdiction — usually where the marriage took place or where the parties last lived together.
The court refers most matters to mediation. Interim maintenance and custody arrangements are decided while that runs.
A settlement is recorded as a consent decree. If it fails, evidence is led and the court decides.
The statute provides a six-month cooling-off period between the first and second motion. The Supreme Court has held that this period can be waived by the Family Court where the separation has been long and the settlement is genuine, so some matters do conclude within a few months.
No. Custody is decided on the welfare of the child. Courts do lean towards the mother for very young children, but schooling, stability and — for an older child — the child’s own preference all weigh in.
Yes. Since the 2005 amendment to the Hindu Succession Act a daughter is a coparcener by birth, with the same rights as a son. The Supreme Court confirmed in 2020 that this applies whether or not the father was alive on the date of the amendment.
It can be. The court looks at the standard of living during the marriage and the gap between the two incomes, not merely at whether the claimant has some income of her own.
Fees vary by the lawyer and the complexity of your matter. Each lawyer lists their consultation fee on their profile, so you can pick one that suits your budget before reaching out.
Yes. Browsing profiles and contacting lawyers is completely free. You only pay the lawyer directly for their consultation or case work.