Deliberate delay is one of the most frustrating tactics in matrimonial litigation, but you are far from powerless against it, so let me set out your options. The Family Courts Act itself contemplates speedy disposal, and courts increasingly frown on parties who abuse adjournments to wear the other side down.

First, protect yourself financially so the delay stops hurting you: secure interim maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act and interim custody arrangements, so that while the case drags, your day-to-day needs and your children's are covered. Second, actively oppose unnecessary adjournments on the record and press for day-to-day or closely-spaced hearings, and where the delay is clearly tactical, ask the court to impose costs on the delaying party under Order XVII of the Civil Procedure Code. Third, if your spouse is absenting themselves or evading service to stall, you can push for the matter to proceed ex-parte rather than letting their non-appearance freeze the case.

If the delay is egregious and persistent despite these steps, the matter can be escalated — including approaching the High Court to seek expeditious disposal. The key throughout is to keep a clear record of every adjournment your spouse causes, because that record is what persuades a court to clamp down. Our matrimonial litigators in Agra can file the applications needed to keep your case moving and to make delay costly for the other side.

The mindset I recommend is patient but proactive. You cannot force a hearing every week, but you can make stalling expensive and ensure that, meanwhile, you are financially secure — which often removes the very leverage your spouse hoped delay would give them.