Codifies Hindu marriage — conditions, registration, restitution, judicial separation, nullity, divorce on fault and consent grounds, maintenance and custody.
Neither party has a living spouse; both capable of valid consent and not of unsound mind; groom twenty-one and bride eighteen; not within the degrees of prohibited relationship or sapindas unless custom permits.
Where either spouse has withdrawn from the other's society without reasonable excuse, the aggrieved party may petition for a decree of restitution.
Fault grounds: adultery, cruelty, desertion for two years, conversion, incurable unsoundness of mind, venereal disease, renunciation, presumed death; plus s. 13(1A) non-resumption after decree and s. 13(2) wife-specific grounds.
Joint petition after living separately for one year; second motion after six to eighteen months (the six-month wait is waivable — Amardeep Singh, 2017).
Either spouse without independent income sufficient for support may be awarded monthly maintenance and litigation expenses during the proceedings; to be disposed of within sixty days.
At the time of or after any decree, the court may order a gross sum or periodic payment for life, having regard to the parties' income, property and conduct; variable on change of circumstances.
Interim and final orders for custody, maintenance and education of minor children consistent with their wishes wherever possible; applications to be disposed of within sixty days.
The text shown is a working summary used inside Nyaya for grounding and UI preview. For verbatim reproduction, refer to the bare Act published on indiacode.nic.in.