Granddaughter Undergoing Studies Availing Loan Can't Be Expected To Maintain Pension-Drawing Grandmother: Kerala High Court

Kerala High Court recently held that a granddaughter, who is undergoing studies after availing a student loan, cannot be expected to maintain her pension-drawing grandmother. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 487]Justice Harisankar V. Menon dismissed an octogenarian's plea against her daughter-in-law and granddaughter seeking maintenance from them as per the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and...

Woman Marrying Divorcee Can't Claim Maintenance If She Fails To Verify Finality Of Divorce Decree: Karnataka High Court

The Dharwad Bench of Karnataka High Court has held that a woman who knowingly marries a man believing him to be a divorcee cannot claim maintenance under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) if she failed to verify whether the divorce decree had attained finality or was stayed in appeal. Justice Geetha K.B. dismissed a revision petition filed by a woman challenging the...

Wife Who Left Matrimonial Home During Covid To Care For Parents & Never Came Back Not Entitled To Maintenance: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has recently dismissed a revision plea filed by a wife seeking maintenance, holding that she failed to establish reasonable cause for leaving the matrimonial home, particularly when she left to care for COVID-affected parents and subsequently refused to return despite her husband's requests.The single judge bench of Dr. Justice Chilakur Sumalatha noted as below in...

'Justice Not Merely About Speed, Judgments Can't Be Obtained By Click Of Button': Karnataka High Court Refuses To Fast-Track Divorce Case

Judges can't be pressured with rigid deadlines, Court said.

'Joint Parenting' Not Recognised By Indian Laws, Focus Should Be On Child Welfare And Not Parental Rights: Bombay High Court

A strict 50-50 split is not a practical solution and may lead to further conflicts, Court said.

Marriage Officer Can't Insist On Nepali Woman's Single Status Certificate To Solemnise Marriage Under SMA: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently clarified that a marriage officer cannot refuse to solemnize a marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 by citing expired “single status certificate”. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 474]Justice Harisankar V. Menon was considering a writ petition preferred by a man, who was aggrieved by the Marriage Officer's refusal to solemnize his marriage with a...

'Abuse Of Process': Bombay High Court Imposes ₹5 Lakh Costs On Son Seeking To Assess 78-Yr-Old Father's Mental Condition Amid Property Dispute

The Bombay High Court recently imposed a hefty cost of Rs 5 lakh on a man for dragging his septuagenarian father to court despite the fact of him (father) suffering from various ailments. The High Court held this to be an abuse of the process and severely reprimanded the son's conduct. A division bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata noted that in February 2026 a single-judge...

Spouses Living In Separate Rooms Not Cruelty Per Se, But Cumulative Effect Of Prolonged Discord Relevant: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has recently dismissed an appeal filed by a husband challenging a decree of divorce granted on the ground of mental cruelty, and permanent alimony granted to his wife by the Family Court. While doing so, the court made a crucial distinction that mere separate living within the same premises, by itself, cannot be treated as cruelty. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar)...

Wife Need Not Seek Permission To Visit Her Parents, Can't Be Forced To Look After In-Laws: Karnataka High Court

Primary duty to look after parents vests upon son or daughter, not son-in-law or daughter-in-law, Court said.

Wife's Enrolment As Advocate Does Not Prove Sufficiency Of Income To Deny Her Maintenance Claim: Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court has held that merely being enrolled as an advocate and engaged in independent legal practice does not establish that a wife has sufficient independent income to disentitle her from maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. [2026 LiveLaw (Tel) 138]The Court stressed that the statutory test is the sufficiency of income actually available, and...

AP High Court Fines Mother ₹50,000 For Suppressing Grant Of Custody To Father Pursuant To Mutual Settlement

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that a habeas corpus petition seeking custody of minor children is not maintainable where the children are in the custody of their father pursuant to a mutually agreed settlement between the parents.[2026 LiveLaw (AP) 197]A Division Bench of Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari and Justice Purushottam Kumar Chintalapudi dismissed with costs the mother's...

Mere Annoyance Or Irritation In Marital Life Is Not Cruelty: Bombay High Court Denies Divorce To Husband

Mere annoyance or irritation between a couple will not amount to cruelty and cannot be a ground for seeking divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act, held the Bombay High Court recently while dismissing a husband's appeal against an order of a Family Court, which too had dismissed his plea seeking dissolution of his marriage on grounds of cruelty. A division bench of Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke...