Matrimonial, Family & Divorce Law

Typically 6–18 months. Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act requires a six-month cooling-off period between the first and second motion, but the Supreme Court in Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur held this is directory, not mandatory — so courts can and do waive it where the separation is already long and settlement is genuine.

Cruelty (mental or physical), desertion for two years or more, adultery, conversion, unsoundness of mind, virulent disease or renunciation of the world. Cruelty is the most commonly pleaded ground, and it covers sustained mental cruelty, not only physical violence.

No. If the respondent avoids service or stops appearing, the court proceeds ex parte and can grant the decree on your evidence alone. Deliberate non-appearance delays the case but does not defeat it.

For mutual-consent divorce, both parties must appear for the first and second motion, though courts increasingly permit video appearance for parties living abroad. In contested matters, your presence is needed mainly for evidence and cross-examination — we handle routine dates.

Courts weigh the income and earning capacity of both spouses, the standard of living during the marriage, liabilities, and the needs of any children. There is no fixed formula, but appellate courts commonly treat around 25% of the husband's net income as a reasonable benchmark for spousal maintenance.

Defend it properly and promptly. We seek anticipatory bail for you and your family members, apply for quashing under Section 528 BNSS where the complaint is plainly retaliatory, and use the Supreme Court's Arnesh Kumar guidelines to resist automatic arrest.