VISAKHAPATNAM: Divorce cases are piling up at the Family Court, with 20-25 new ones, on average, reaching the court everyday. Hounded by lack of understanding and adjustment of temperaments, young couples, often married for just a year, are found moving the court for a divorce. In many cases, parents of either side — the bride and the groom — are seen playing a major role in their divorce. With a total of 4,500 cases pending since 2007, at least 25 new cases come to the two family courts. Of the total cases filed, majority belongs to young people, who get married and find it difficult to stay together since day one of their marriage. As per the cases reported in the family courts, there are many couples, who have ruined their lives because of lack of understanding.
Extramarital affairs too play a role in the divorce cases filed by the couples.
The man or the woman, who had been in a relationship with somebody before marriage, wants to continue it further. Only four to five cases are disposed of daily after many days of hearing during the trial. “We have seen a rise in divorce cases everyday and this applies to both love and arranged marriages. Lack of understanding among the couple and parents playing a negative role are making the couples go for separation, sometimes even within just a week following marriage. We have to conduct special drive to clear the pending cases,” said K Sai Ramadevi, the Judge of the Family Court-cum-V Additional District and Sessions court.
The problem becomes acute for couples, who have children and fight it out for the later’s custody. Under the Guardian of Protection, there are fights for children’s custody and fight between siblings over whom to stay with, the father or the mother. When a child is in the custody of grandparents, it is often found that it spoils the relationship between the parents and the children. “In the case of death of the mother or some similar situation like that, the grandparents, who take care of the child do not even allow the father to see his child. This even ruins the child’s future,” said the Judge of Family Court.
Senior advocate and president of the Forum of Legal Professionals Kuppili Muralidhar said that the Gen-Y was losing faith in the institution of marriage.
Heartbreak house
4,500 - Pending divorce cases (between 2007 and 2018)
20-25 New divorce cases filed in family court per day
4-5 Divorce cases disposed of, on average, daily