Family courts serve as legal forums for swift resolution of matters related to marriage, children, divorce and property. Furthermore, they address sociocultural factors which contribute to conflict while encouraging conciliation.
As a court reporter in Mumbai, I regularly visit the only family court for stories. Many cases revolve around domestic violence, adultery and dowry issues; other claims for divorce involve more strange causes – like when one husband claims his wife spent money on diet pills!
There are 41 Family Courts in Maharashtra
Family courts were created to resolve legal matters concerning families amicably through non-adversarial means and conciliation. Under Indian law, at least one family court should exist in cities with over one million inhabitants, yet India only has around 11 of these courts available despite this need being fulfilled by state government programs that pledged 14 additional family courts in Mumbai alone, alongside those planned for Thane and Navi Mumbai – this initiative being taken to address this shortcoming is most welcome!
Family courts are overburdened with cases and lack public awareness, leading to delays in processing divorce and family-related disputes. More judges and better infrastructure would make life easier in these courts.
As a journalist, I often visit Mumbai’s family court to cover stories. Most often, couples file for divorce due to serious controversies like domestic violence or dowry issues; but sometimes I hear of couples seeking split up for seemingly absurd reasons like one couple wanting out because the wife spent too much money.
The Bombay High Court has asked Maharashtra state to establish more family courts. Their division bench was hearing a PIL filed by businessman Tushar Gupta who claimed there is an inadequate supply of family courts despite laws mandating at least one in cities with more than one million inhabitants.
There are 14 Additional Family Courts in Mumbai
Family courts exist to address complex marital discord and help families find resolutions for their disputes, but cases filed at these courts often become increasingly complicated due to various socio-cultural influences, including patriarchy and gender discrimination, which may adversely impact judicial proceedings. Furthermore, frivolous applications and counter-applications may further delay court processes leading to prolonged delays for justice to be provided.
The government is actively exploring strategies to decrease backlog at courts and improve their functioning, including setting up 14 additional family courts across Mumbai and Thane and Navi Mumbai and increasing the number of judges within these cities. The additional family courts will serve to facilitate matters including divorce cases, restitution of conjugal rights restitution cases maintenance cases custody cases and child support disputes.
These new family courts will have the capability to resolve more cases more quickly while also offering support services to couples going through the divorce process. This can be especially important when considering children, who can become distressed during what can often be an extended legal battle.
The Bombay High Court recently lambasted Maharashtra government’s ineffective handling of family courts, demanding details on pendency of cases across family courts across state as part of a PIL that seeks enforcement of provisions under Family Court Act.
There are 14 Additional Family Courts in Thane
Family courts are an essential component of India’s judicial system, serving as a safe space for couples to resolve disputes amicably and providing essential guidance through the difficult processes of divorce and custody. Unfortunately, however, they often suffer from limited capacity due to judge shortages and long processing times for cases. As a solution, Maharashtra state government plans on opening 14 new family courts across Mumbai alone with one each for Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Mumbai’s seven family courts are currently being overstretched by an increasing backlog. Mumbai Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently stated that over 5,000 divorce cases remain outstanding with only seven family court judges available – an insufficient number to handle them all.
Furthermore, many family cases are complex and may involve lengthy hearings. Furthermore, sociocultural factors like patriarchy can interfere with how cases are processed causing delays in case resolution and ultimately frustration among litigants.
Thane Family Court has taken proactive steps to address these concerns by offering an innovative new service: it now features a counseling centre dedicated to supporting couples through the trauma of divorce. Although this represents progress, additional work remains to improve family court services across India: more judges need to be hired, processing times should be decreased significantly and awareness increased regarding family court services.
There are 14 Additional Family Courts in Navi Mumbai
Family courts are an integral component of India’s legal system, helping families resolve disputes quickly and amicably while simultaneously encouraging conciliation – two components central to Indian legal tradition. Unfortunately, family courts face numerous challenges related to shortages of judges and increased caseloads; to combat this problem Maharashtra has promised to open 14 additional family courts in Mumbai alone and one each in Thane and Navi Mumbai.
The new family courts will help reduce backlog and improve services to families in need, with special rooms dedicated to counseling and mediation to facilitate amicable solutions to disputes between spouses. Furthermore, counselors specializing in family matters will staff these facilities. Furthermore, support groups for women and children dealing with divorce and separation will be made available within each courthouse.
As part of its measures, the government will form a special panel of experts dedicated to dealing with cases that involve complex sociocultural issues such as patriarchy and gender discrimination. This committee will include both legal and medical specialists.
The Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra state government to clarify its position on proposed family court proposals. At hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by businessman Tushar Gupta alleging that its indifference towards setting up family courts was hindering justice, the bench directed that government provide information about how each proposal had progressed and when each was likely to be completed.