This title deals with: marriage; child marriage; restitution of conjugal rights; judicial separation; nullity of marriage; divorce; matrimonial petitions; custody of children; where to present the petition; mode of service; appearance of parties; production of documents; mediation; witnesses; adjournments; costs; judgment and decree; joint property; maintenance; execution of decree; domestic violence; free legal aid; and model formats of applications and petitions.
Law involves the everyday life of the common man, just as it involves the relations between States, and may also govern the Armies at war.
But, so long as life goes smooth, we rarely feel the presence of law.
Only when we get caught in the cobweb of law, for good reason or bad, we realise its intrigues and intricacies.
Of late, there is a realisation that elementary knowledge of law should be an integral part of general education.
Home is the fort, from where we fight all the battles of life.
But, there may arise an unfortunate situation when the fort itself develops cracks.
Marriage is the most important pillar of this fort. Hence, we make every effort to preserve a marriage and to prevent the fort from crumbling. But, if the marriage is damaged beyond repair, one has to look for remedies, which law may offer.
Law is full of mysteries. Even lawyers and jurists differ on what the law is on a given issue.
The common man, though literate, may find it difficult to comprehend the law from the books which are written for the legal profession or for the law students.
Hence, the need for books of this kind. There are several Acts that govern marriage and domestic life.
Although, the institution of marriage has been in existence since time immemorial, the current rimes have seen some modifications in them.
Take for example, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the earlier Act called Child Marriage Restraint Act.
Those, who conduct or perform child marriage are offenders.
This is easy to understand. But, there are some complex issues associated with a child marriage.
Are the minors, who are married by their parents, also guilty?
Is the marriage of the child couple valid? The present book is an earnest effort to tell the common man what is the law that governs such situations and how to be on the right side of law.
The author is an Additional District Judge of repute. The volume of his work load and the responsibility that rests on his shoulders do not call for any enumeration.
Sheer zeal for public service has driven him to produce this worthy volume.
Knowledge of law does not take one much further, unless one has also the knowledge as to how to access the Courts and justice.
Various legal-service-bodies provide free legal service and legal education.
The author, apart from narrating the law, has also informed the reader of the various facilities like Free Legal Service, Mediation and Lok Adalat, which a litigant may make use of at the appropriate occasions.
The author has included two new laws viz. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
Since law is ever expanding and ever progressing, the author has to update this book periodically to keep pace with the changing law.
Hence, I can legitimately expect updated editions of the book in the future.
