The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (HC) recently ruled that sharing domestic responsibilities between spouses could help strengthen marriages and preserve the family structure, while it was hearing a matrimonial dispute involving a doctor couple.

The division bench of the HC, comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi remarked, “If there can be a housewife, there can also be a house husband,” while disposing of separate appeals filed by the couple against orders passed by the Family Court in Theni. The court underscored that earning an income and maintaining a household are responsibilities that deserve equal recognition within a family.

Doctor couple tied the knot in 2011

The couple, who are natives of Tiruvannamalai, were attached to the Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital in Puducherry when they married in 2011. Their first child, a son, was born the next year.

The wife later stayed with her parents to look after their child while her husband pursued higher studies in cardiology. Furthermore, the couple was blessed with a second child in 2016. Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the couple began living together. However, with time, differences cropped up between them, eventually leading to legal proceedings.

The wife knocked on the doors of the family court seeking restitution of conjugal rights, while the husband sought divorce. The family court junked both the petitions, following which the couple filed separate appeals before the HC.

“Earning, maintaining home deserve equal respect”

During the hearing, the HC bench shed light on the importance of recognising domestic work and sharing responsibilities between spouses. The bench said, “In our culture, the family is the fundamental unit. The responsibility of earning an income and the responsibility of maintaining the household deserve equal respect.”

The judges hearing the case noted that the marriage can sometimes be perceived by women as an impediment to career opportunities and also referred to the rising number of unmarried women. It further said that the situation could take a changing turn if husbands shared domestic responsibilities. The judges said, “If a ‘housewife’ role exists, a ‘house-husband’ role can also exist,” underlining that such an arrangement could become a social norm.

As per the court, a balanced sharing of household responsibilities could contribute to strengthening marriages and preserving the family structure.

In a strongly-worded remark, the court also said that the term ‘homemaker’ is gender-neutral and referred to the Supreme Court’s repeated recognition of the economic value of work performed by a wife as a homemaker.

Husband agrees to pay Rs 2.5 cr

During the proceedings, the husband agreed to pay Rs 2.5 crore to his wife, considering the welfare of their two children. The wife agreed to the arrangement.

While viewing the mutual consent of both parties, the HC granted the divorce and disposed of the appeals. The court directed the husband to pay Rs 1.5 crore to his wife within three months of receiving a copy of the order. The amount is supposed to be credited directly into her bank account.

Moreover, the court ordered the husband to deposit Rs 50 lakh each in the names of the couple’s two kids within one year.