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Divorce from an NRI


Here are the provisions for NRI divorce under Indian legal system-
  • If you and your spouse got married in India under  Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and began living in the foreign land, you can apply for divorce in the following ways-
Mutual Consent Divorce
  • If both of you are willing to get the divorce and agree mutually on all the terms (child custody, maintenance, division of property).
  • You may file for divorce in the Foreign Court where you reside
  • Divorce shall be valid in India if the foreign court:
    • grants divorce is acceptable under Hindu law;
    • divorce is granted only on the grounds/reasons which are given under the Hindu Marriage Act (Section 13).
  • Once the divorce proceedings begin in India, you may give the power of attorney to your parents and need not appear in court on each date.
  • Mutual consent divorce completes within 6 to 8 months.
Contested Divorce
  • If you file for a divorce in the foreign court and your spouse does not agree to it, he/she may file a petition in India for stay of divorce proceedings.
  • You cannot force her to contest divorce proceedings abroad. In such cases, it is better you file for divorce in India.
  • Procedure for filing a contested divorce, In India, you may file the divorce at-
    • The place you last resided in India,
    • Place of marriage
    • Place where your spouse is residing at the time of filing the divorce
  • You must be present at the stage of evidence during the proceedings.
  • Contested divorce takes around 3 to 5 years to complete.


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