Top 10 Family Law Judgments – Jan 2026 | LegalWiki
Key Supreme Court and High Court Rulings in Family Law
In January 2026, the Supreme Court and various High Courts across India delivered important judgments shaping the landscape of Family Law.
Relatives’ Refusal to Address Husband’s Affair or Advice to ‘Tolerate’ Beating Not Cruelty: Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court held that a father-in-law refusing to hear a wife’s complaint about her husband’s extra-marital affair, and a brother-in-law telling her to “tolerate” the husband’s beating, does not by itself amount to cruelty under Section 498A IPC. Read More
Sharing Wife’s Pre-Marriage Photos with Family is Mental Cruelty: Jharkhand High Court
The Jharkhand High Court granted divorce to a woman, holding that humiliating a wife over pre-marriage photographs amounts to mental cruelty. Read More
Widowed Hindu Daughter-In-Law Entitled to Maintenance from Father-In-Law’s Estate: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court held that a Hindu daughter-in-law, who becomes a widow after the death of her father-in-law, is entitled to claim maintenance from his estate. Read More
Diet, Clothing and TV Disputes Don’t Amount to Cruelty Under Section 498A: Karnataka High Court
The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR under Section 498A IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act, holding that ordinary marital disagreements cannot be criminalised as cruelty. Read More
Father Living with Second Wife Without Divorce Not Entitled to Child Custody: Chhattisgarh High Court
The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that a father cohabiting with a second woman without obtaining a divorce from his first wife is not entitled to custody of his child. Read More
Father Who Sexually Assaulted Minor Daughter Not Entitled to Leniency Under POCSO: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court upheld the conviction of a father for repeatedly raping his minor daughter and refused to suspend his sentence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Read More
Wife’s Right as Class-I Heir Prevails Over Nomination: Orissa High Court
Reaffirming the primacy of succession laws, the Orissa High Court has held that a wife, being a Class-I heir under Section 8 of the Hindu Succession Act, has the first right over her deceased husband’s estate, overriding any banking or insurance nomination in favour of other family members. Read More
Wife Cannot Claim Maintenance if Her Actions Render Husband Incapable of Earning Says Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court held that a wife cannot seek maintenance if her own conduct has caused or contributed to the husband’s inability to earn. Read More
Delhi High Court Upholds Validity of Rule Permitting Family Pension to Childless Widow
The Delhi High Court upheld the constitutional validity of Rule 54 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, which allows a childless widow to continue receiving family pension even after remarriage, subject to income conditions. Read More
MP High Court Rejects Husband’s Plea Seeking Wife’s Virginity Test in Divorce Case
The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed a husband’s request to subject his wife to a medical examination in a divorce matter. Read More
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