Case Law Analysis
|Gauhati High Court
Section 7, Family Courts Act, 1984 | Civil Courts Barred from Deciding Matrimonial Status Declarations Where Family Court Has Jurisdiction : Gauhati HC
The Gauhati High Court has ruled that any suit seeking a declaration of marital status-such as validity of marriage or spousal rights-must be filed exclusively before a Family Court under Section 7 of the Family Courts Act. Civil courts lack jurisdiction even if the facts are undisputed, reinforcing the Act’s intent to centralize all matrimonial disputes in specialized forums and prevent forum shopping.