Delhi HC - Family Courts Need To Avoid Granting Excessively Long Adjournments When Referring Parties To Counselling

The Delhi High Court recently emphasized the need for family courts to avoid granting excessively long adjournments when referring parties to counseling.

Justice Navin Chawla pointed out that regular supervision of counseling proceedings is essential for the family court, and this oversight becomes difficult if the court grants lengthy adjournments. He made this observation while handling a plea filed by a husband who challenged a family court order and sought a time-bound resolution of a divorce petition.

According to the information presented in the High Court, on March 14, 2023, the family court referred the parties to the court counselor and postponed the proceedings until October 18.

The argument made was that an amicable settlement between the parties was unlikely, and such a prolonged adjournment was unnecessary.

The Court concurred with the argument, acknowledging that the family court should not have allowed such a lengthy adjournment. As a result, Justice Chawla rescheduled the hearing of the case to August 8 to ensure a more timely resolution.