Yes — and this is one of the most practically important developments in Indian matrimonial law in recent years. The Supreme Court's decision in Amardeep Singh v. Harveen Kaur (2017) confirmed that the six-month cooling-off period between the first and second motions in a Section 13B Hindu Marriage Act mutual consent divorce is directory, not mandatory — meaning it can be waived by the court in appropriate cases, and the Kanpur Family Court exercises this power regularly.

The court will waive the waiting period where it is satisfied that the marriage has genuinely and irretrievably broken down, that the parties have been living separately for a substantial period before the first motion itself, that there are no minor children whose welfare requires more time, that the settlement terms are fair and comprehensive, and that both parties are firm and fully informed in their decision to seek a divorce. In practice, couples who have been separated for a year or more, have already resolved all ancillary issues — maintenance, custody, stridhan, property — and present a complete and fair consent terms document at the first motion stage are the strongest candidates for a waiver.

The procedural route is to file a joint application for waiver along with the first motion petition, setting out the specific grounds on which the court's discretion should be exercised. The application should clearly establish the period of separation, the current status of any children, and the completeness of the settlement. Kanpur Family Court judges are familiar with these applications and decide them on their merits — there is no automatic grant, but a well-prepared application supported by genuine facts succeeds with reasonable regularity. Having experienced counsel — or, for the settlement aspect, a retired judge acting as a neutral mediator — structure the consent terms and the waiver application can make the difference between a matter that concludes in a single motion and one that takes the full six months plus more. The family law panel at Aapka Legal Advice in Kanpur can prepare both documents together so you are positioned for the fastest possible resolution.

The honest caveat: if there are unresolved issues — particularly about minor children — the court is less likely to waive, because the cooling-off period exists partly to protect children's interests. Resolve every ancillary matter before the first motion, and waiver becomes a much more realistic prospect.