Grandparents can’t be forced to take care of grandchildren

A Mumbai Family Court in a recent order has steered a trend in family institution in India. The Court in its order has highlighted that grandparents cannot be burdened with the responsibility of taking care of their grandchildren, if parents are working. The Family Court Judge, J. Swati Chauhan in her Order had enunciated that Grandparents after completing their duties of young and adult age cannot be made responsible for their grandchildren. They can assist in their upbringing, but definitely not be held legally bound for the same. It is their time of the life when they can indulge in relaxation, entertainment and travelling. The grandchildren are a blessing and not to be treated as a burden on them . The incident came in highlight when a woman, who approached the Court pursuant to seeking an Order for maintenance for herself and her children, had alleged that the grandparents of the children had turned away from taking care of the children forcing the woman to place the children in a cr& egrave che and paying for it. The Pune based woman had filed a petition in 2012 when her husband had stopped paying for her maintenance and their children. She had to take up a job within four months of delivering her first child and pay for all the expenses herself. Adding to that, her in-laws refused to take care of the grandchildren as they had to go travelling and to meet their other son. The father, who had neglected the financial expenses of his family for almost a decade has been living in another city. In an interim Court Order in 2012 the father was required to pay for the maintenance of the wife and children at Rs.10,000 per month per child, till an age of 18 years for the son and for the daughter, till she gets married.