legal responsibility of father in law
22 Aug 2013, 14:10
Is father in law responsible for maintenance of a daughter in law in case of separation between son and daughter in law who had married at their own without obtaining any blessings of the father in law (Not a social marriage with consent of both the families) in case the son is economically weak to maintain himself and his separated wife.
1 Reply
According to Section 19 of the Hindu Marriage Act, the liability of the father-in-law to maintain his daughter-in-law not being his personal obligation, can arise only in the case of the death of his son. where the son is alive ( husband of the woman) there is no legal liability of the father-in-law while he is alive to maintain her daughter-in-law. even incase, she becomes a widow, the liability of father-in-law shall arise only if she unable to maintain herself and to the extent she is unable to maintain herself from her own income or property. also the father-in-law can only be held liable if he has any coparcenary(ancestral property) with him, where he does not have any ancestral property, maintenance shall not be granted.