Unusual Settlement: Pune Woman Pays Husband Rs 50,000 as Court Grants Divorce
Shivajinagar, 5th March 2026: A Pune family court has granted a divorce by mutual consent to a young couple after the woman agreed to pay Rs 50,000 to her husband to cover his litigation expenses, an arrangement considered unusual in matrimonial disputes where financial compensation is typically paid by the husband to the wife.
The case was heard at the Shivajinagar Family Court, where the couple sought dissolution of their marriage after differences emerged following their inter-caste union.
The matter has drawn attention within legal circles, as such financial arrangements are relatively uncommon in family court cases, where maintenance or compensation is usually awarded to the wife.
According to details presented before the court, the couple had been living in the same neighbourhood and developed a relationship that eventually led to marriage. However, their decision to marry faced strong opposition from both families due to caste differences.
Despite the resistance, the couple eloped and registered their marriage under the Special Marriage Act on April 19, 2024. Even after the legal formalities were completed, they reportedly continued to live separately with their respective families in Pune instead of setting up a shared household.
Soon after the marriage, the woman disclosed the union to her family, who strongly opposed the relationship. The persistent pressure from her relatives eventually led her to approach the family court seeking a divorce.
During the proceedings, the husband initially expressed a desire to continue the marriage and urged his wife to return and live with him. However, she declined the request. The matter proceeded through legal hearings, during which the husband did not appear in court on the first two dates and later filed his response through legal counsel.
As part of the standard procedure in matrimonial cases, the court referred the couple for counselling in an attempt to reconcile their differences and save the marriage. However, the counselling sessions failed to produce a settlement between the two.
Subsequently, lawyers representing both parties negotiated a compromise under which the woman agreed to pay Rs 50,000 to the husband towards the legal expenses incurred during the proceedings.
Following this settlement, the couple jointly filed a petition seeking divorce by mutual consent. After the agreed amount was paid, the Shivajinagar Family Court formally granted the divorce, bringing the brief marriage to an end.
Legal representatives associated with the case stated that although the husband had earlier indicated his willingness to continue the relationship, the woman remained firm in her decision not to resume marital life, which ultimately led to the negotiated settlement.
