India: Family and Matrimonial

The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 functions as a critical piece of beneficial legislation, designed to provide immediate financial succor to the dependents of victims of fatal road accidents.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Deepa Joshi v. Gaurav Joshi1 (2026) marks a significant reaffirmation of the principles governing maintenance under matrimonial law. The judgment clarifies the treatment of financial...

The Calcutta High Court examines whether statutory age limits under India's surrogacy laws should operate as absolute barriers when reproductive processes have been validly initiated within permissible timeframes.

The intersection of digital communication and matrimonial law has increasingly demanded judicial attention in contemporary India. As smartphones become ubiquitous and instant messaging platforms...

In civil disputes, a decree is the formal adjudication by courts which conclusively determines the rights of parties pertaining to the issues involved in the suit.

In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court, in Neha Lal v. Abhishek Kumar , dealt with irretrievable breakdown of marriage and the Court's power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India to grant divorce without mutual consent.

Wealth and succession planning in India is often shaped by personal law regimes that determine how property devolves upon death. For Muslim families, inheritance is governed primarily by the principles of Islamic law, as recognised under the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.

India's wealthiest families spend decades constructing empires of equity, real estate, and operating businesses. Yet many reach the point of succession without a valid Will. In such cases, statutory succession rules apply, with the state administering the distribution of assets according to prescribed criteria—such as religious law, familial relationship, and fixed shares, rather than individual intent, commercial considerations, or legacy planning.

When Indian families build wealth globally, the estate is no longer confined to one legal system. A London flat, a Dubai bank account, a Singapore brokerage portfolio, and shares in an overseas holding company may each sit behind different procedural rules, different document standards, and different court processes.