Mutual consent divorce: can the 6-month wait be skipped?
By Aastha Vishwakarma, Advocate · · 2 min read
Many couples who have already agreed to part ask whether they must still wait six months after filing. The short answer: not always.
- Both spouses must have lived separately for at least one year before filing a joint petition.
- The law sets a six-month gap between the first and second motion, but the court can waive it in suitable cases.
- Either spouse can withdraw consent at any time before the court passes the divorce decree.
- In Nainital district, these petitions are heard by the Family Court at Haldwani.
Who can file for divorce by mutual consent?
Under section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, husband and wife file one joint petition. They must show three things: they have lived separately for one year or more, they cannot live together, and they both agree the marriage should end.
"Living separately" means not living as husband and wife. It can apply even if both stay under the same roof.
Is the six-month waiting period compulsory?
After the first motion, the law says the second motion is made no earlier than six months and no later than eighteen months later. This gap is meant to give time to reconsider.
In Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur (2017), the Supreme Court held that this period is not mandatory. The court hearing the case can waive it when the couple has already been separated for over one and a half years, mediation has failed, and they have settled everything, such as alimony and custody of children.
An application to waive the wait can be moved one week after the first motion. The court decides it on the facts of each case.
Can a spouse change their mind?
Yes. Consent must continue until the decree. If one spouse withdraws before the second motion is decided, the court cannot grant divorce by mutual consent.
What you can do
- Put the settlement in writing before filing: alimony, return of jewellery and belongings (stridhan), children's custody and visitation, and withdrawal of any other cases.
- Keep proof of the date you started living separately.
- If you want the six-month wait waived, the reasons must be stated in an application to the court; it is not automatic.
- Check hearing dates and orders on the eCourts portal using your case number.
आपसी सहमति से तलाक़: क्या छह महीने का इंतज़ार ज़रूरी है?
- संयुक्त याचिका दायर करने से पहले पति-पत्नी कम से कम एक वर्ष से अलग रह रहे हों।
- पहले और दूसरे प्रस्ताव के बीच छह महीने का अंतर होता है, पर उचित मामलों में न्यायालय इसे माफ़ कर सकता है।
- डिक्री पारित होने से पहले कोई भी पक्ष अपनी सहमति वापस ले सकता है।
- नैनीताल ज़िले में ये याचिकाएँ हल्द्वानी स्थित परिवार न्यायालय में सुनी जाती हैं।
सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने अमरदीप सिंह बनाम हरवीन कौर (2017) में कहा कि हिंदू विवाह अधिनियम की धारा 13बी(2) की छह महीने की अवधि अनिवार्य नहीं है। यदि दंपति डेढ़ वर्ष से अधिक समय से अलग हैं, मध्यस्थता विफल रही है और गुज़ारा भत्ता व बच्चों की अभिरक्षा जैसे सभी मुद्दे तय हो चुके हैं, तो न्यायालय यह अवधि माफ़ कर सकता है।
Sources
- The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (India Code) (opens in a new tab)
- Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur, Supreme Court, 12 September 2017 (opens in a new tab)
- eCourts services: case status (opens in a new tab)