Gujarat’s family courts are getting burdened by the increasing number of cases. In the state’s 50 family courts, more than 50,000 cases are pending, with a notable 60% increase in pending cases over the past year. As of September 2024, 44,037 cases have been recorded, averaging around 160 new cases daily. In comparison, 27,198 cases were registered in 2023.

On a daily basis, Gujarat family courts resolve 112 family-related cases, but 50,128 cases remain pending. This means that, on average, each family court has 1,000 pending cases.

Across the country, Uttar Pradesh leads with 1.88 lakh pending cases, followed by Punjab with 55,547 and Kerala with 45,628. Gujarat ranks fourth, with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan following closely with 30,236, 32,874, and 34,174 pending cases, respectively.

As per available data, a total of 6.43 lakh family cases have been registered in 848 family courts across India, with 12.42 lakh cases pending and 6.85 lakh cases disposed of. 

Advocate Aarushi S Desai stated that divorce and maintenance cases have been on the rise. The backlog of cases has increased due to partial functioning of trial courts during the Covid-19 pandemic, and since courts resumed full operations in February 2022, maintenance-related cases, in particular, have surged.

Experts believe that minor disputes between couples have started to escalate, ultimately leading to divorce. The breakdown of understanding between couples and the rise in ego-related conflicts have become significant factors. In addition, excessive time spent on mobile phones and social media is causing stress. Cases involving rifts with in-laws over small issues have also increased. It is estimated that more than 10,000 divorce cases are pending in Ahmedabad’s family courts alone.

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