Pune: Five couples separating consensually every day, reveals family court statistics

Pune: Statistics about divorce applications filed and resolved from the family court has revealed that about five married couples are consensually separating every day since the past few months, especially including the lockdown period.

In the last 20 months, 3,152 divorce cases have been filed in the family court here by mutual consent. During this period, one thousand 912 claims of consensual separation have been settled.

From January 1, 2018 to August 31, about 4,273 applications have been received for unilateral divorce, resolving and annulment of marriage. During this period, 3,484 applications have been processed. As many as 90 per cent of couples are divorcing with the consent of a spouse who wants a divorce.

Advocate Vaishali Chandane said, “Couples are filing for consensual divorce to save time and money, and both physical and mental distress. The number of such claims has increased in the last few months. We try to bring the two individuals together before filing a claim, but if it is not possible for them to come together, we advise them to separate by consent.”

Reasons for consensual divorce

• To reduce physical and mental distress
• Applying voluntarily does not create a feeling of hatred
• It saves time, money and frequency of court hearing reduces
• The divorce process happens early
• They do not defame each other
• Children do not have to suffer much

Filed between January 1, 2018 and August 31, 2020