TRENDS OF DIVORCE IN CITIES

Most of the cities that are tech-hubs of India also happen to top the charts in its share of divorce and separation, due to a number of reasons. We receive an odd 450 enquiries and clients every week, seeking mutual divorce or contested divorce and with queries on ancillary matters like alimony, child custody, terms of settlement, etc.  Some of the instances reveal genuinely suffocating partners facing constant harassment and cruelty; but we also come across several cases of one spouse deliberately trapping the other in tyranny with vengeance and spite.

One sad case that came to us was a woman Akriti with two young children and had been practically deserted by her husband. They were married about 7 years back, and she was brought here from the small town she grew up in. Her husband Samwith was working in an IT company and showed little interest in family matters; but she was too naïve to react or retaliate. Eventually he stopped giving any money and stopped coming home; and she was left alone to fend for the family. She being barely educated, unemployed, and clueless about future, came to us after having got nowhere with family negotiations. We were able to secure her divorce from him showing reasons of desertion and mental cruelty. He had also got involved with another woman, so the process was easy to seek divorce. She and the children receive monthly maintenance and are now much better off.

On the contrary, we also came across a couple Parth and Lousie who got married after a scandalous love affair, against both their parents, and after 6 months of co habitation, decided to get divorced. It was all based on impulsive decisions, and once differences began to surface, they were rather interested in separating than sorting out. So they mutually decided to draw up a settlement and got mutual divorce through us.

What we have felt from observing the trend of cases that come to us, is that most young couples are inclined towards parting ways rather than hanging on, and believe in peaceful lives alone than compromising together. It is sad that all major life decisions are based on spur-of-the moment instincts in a large majority of youth today. But a large number of people also silently suffer torments and cruelty from their partners, clinging on to the norms of sanctity of marriage. The irony of this!