Cohabitation- The Increasing Trend Of Live-In Relationship

“It’s better to be in mutual cohabitation rather than having a divorced life!”

Cohabitation is another term for live-in relationship. It is a relation where two people who are not married stay together under one roof. They often involve a romantic or intimate relationship which probably is for long-term or on permanent basis. Many countries made it legal but some still believe, this hinders the concept of family culture in nation.

There are responsibilities and obligations which are to be followed by couples who are into that relation. As in modern era, every individual wants to live their life on their own terms and conditions. Nobody wants bondage. The taboo that used to haunt couples in live-in relationship has now started to fade away as society’s mindset is getting broader. Now they accept it boldly. And this improved mindset is the result of globalization, accepting western culture, urbanization, education, freedom.

Cohabitation provides couple an opportunity to know each other in a better way. It gives them opportunity to know their highs and lows. They get to know about each other’s tendency and behavior.

And it is important as at the end of the day it’s their call that whether they want to spend their rest of the life with each other or not. And this relation even prevents the chaos of family drama and lengthy court relation.

Here it provides a chance to analyze the compatibility between the two. Because once they are married and they realize that there’s no mutual understanding between them, it would suffocate both of them and result in mental problems and finally divorce is the only option left to go for.

Live-in concept is not a problem, it is just a new approach. The approach which can avoid large number of divorces and it would help them live the way they want. And it has to be conceptualized rationally. It's the need of an hour. This concept does not means that one is running away from the responsibilities or something else; it’s just their way of living.

Legal status of live-in
Courts in India have declared that an unmarried man and an unmarried woman can stay together. If agreed mutually. There’s no law binding them together, as they considered it to be a part of ‘right to life’.

There are always two sides of a coin. There are few cons to this concept of live-in relationship.

Protection against exploitation of women and children in cohabitation
1.Maintenance of a lady partner:
Although no religion or community accepts the live-in relation easily. So there are no remedies provided to women here. Indian courts have broadened the scope of maintenance under criminal procedure court.

2.Domestic Violence:
The domestic violence act was enacted to protect women from the abuses whether be it physical, verbal mental or economic. This law protects women from any harassing relationship. So considering this Supreme Court in couple of cases has allowed cohabitation to be covered within the jurisdiction of the law specified.

A women who is subjected to any form of violence in a live-in relation she can file a complaint under the section 498A IPC.

3.Maintenance and Rights of children:
Although it is not allowed to adopt or to have children in a live-in but if it happens there’s a separate provision under the constitution (under personal marriage laws). Inheritance rights have been provided to the children who dwell out of cohabitation. Rights available are for both self-brought properties and ancestral properties.

I would like to conclude it by saying that there’s nothing wrong in this concept. Families or our societies just need to get open up and have widened horizon because culture is not bigger than any individual’s happiness and willingness. Just live and let others live! Effective change is required in our system.