The Kerala High Court (Kerala HC), declining to hear a divorce petition in a live-in relationship case, held that if the parties decide to live together by virtue of an agreement, that by itself will not be recognised as a marriage and, therefore, cannot claim divorce. The Kerala HC stated that “the Law is yet to recognise the live-in relationship as marriage. The Law accords recognition only if the marriage is solemnised in accordance with the personal law or in accordance with secular law like the Special Marriage Act.”
