The Madras High Court has directed all Principal District Judges in Tamil Nadu to collect data on matrimonial disputes involving marriages solemnised between 2020 and 2022, with a view to exploring alternative ways to resolve the cases amicably.
The direction came while the court was hearing a husband's challenge to an order requiring him to pay ₹10,000 per month as interim maintenance to his wife. The court upheld the maintenance order and separately initiated a process to identify matrimonial disputes arising from marriages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background
The husband filed Civil Revision Petition No. 3799 of 2026 under Article 227 of the Constitution, challenging the Sub Court, Alandur's order dated March 30, 2026, which directed him to pay ₹10,000 per month as interim maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
When the High Court initially entertained the petition on July 14, 2026, it directed the husband to pay ₹7,000 per month during the proceedings. The court noted that the maintenance arrears had been paid as directed and that monthly payments were being made at the reduced rate.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh observed that a significant number of matrimonial disputes reaching the High Court over the preceding three months concerned marriages solemnised between 2019 and 2022. According to the court, in more than 95% of these cases, the couples had lived together for only six to nine months, with some having lived together for just three months.
The judge linked the circumstances surrounding these relationships to the extraordinary conditions during the pandemic, including lockdowns, confinement at home and uncertainty about the future.
The court observed:
“The Coronovirus has not only taken away human lives but had also destroyed the institution of marriage during that period. Since the parties were inside the same house, the best and worst aspects of their characters were exposed and most of them were under pressure, thinking about their future and it had a direct impact on their marital relationship.”
The court considered that disputes arising from marriages during this period required separate consideration, given the unusual circumstances in which the couples had lived together.
To explore a different approach, the High Court directed all Principal District Judges across Tamil Nadu to collect information from Family Courts and other courts dealing with matrimonial disputes involving marriages solemnised between 2020 and 2022.
The judge stated:
“If the data is placed before this Court before the next date of hearing, this Court will seek the assistance of the counsel who have rich experience in Family Court disputes and see if a different kind of solution can be adopted in all these cases.”
The court added that the initiative could help families resolve disputes amicably and directed that the collected information be submitted before the next hearing. The matter was scheduled for November 27, 2026, under the caption “For Filing Report”.
On the maintenance issue, the High Court held that the Sub Court had properly exercised its discretion and that ₹10,000 per month was reasonable and not excessive. It declined to interfere with the order, directed the husband to pay the remaining maintenance arrears within four weeks of receiving the order, and instructed the Sub Court, Alandur, to dispose of the pending matrimonial petition within four months.
The civil revision petition was disposed of, with no costs.
