Kancharla Snigdha, BBA.LLB, Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad
ABSTRACT
Cohabitation, or living together as a couple without being officially and legally married, is still taboo in India. However, for various reasons, these types of partnerships have grown increasingly common in recent years. In the absence of explicit legislation, statutes, or customs on the subject, the Supreme Court has created specific guidelines to regulate such partnerships in its ruling. This study seeks to evaluate the current legal requirements in India addressing live-in partnerships after a detailed review of these decisions. The “Prevention of Domestic Violence Act” of 2005 considers a live-in relationship between two consenting adults to be "in nature of marriage" if the couple presents themselves as husband and wife to the society and stays together for a prolonged period. As a result, the female partner is entitled to alimony under its terms.
Keywords: live-in relationships, rights of a live-in partner, ownership of a child born to a live-in couple, the legality of cohabitation.
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