'PRESENCE AT HOME DOES NOT TRANSLATE TO WELFARE' WFH not decisive factor in deciding custody cases: SC

One parent working from home and another travelling to the workplace cannot, by itself, become a decisive factor in awarding the custody of a child, the Supreme Court has held, in a significant ruling reflecting contemporary family realities.

- Utkarsh Anand

In an order released earlier this week, the top court noted that in today’s socioeconomic environment, both parents often work to secure a stable future for their children, and physical presence at home during work hours does not automatically translate into better care or welfare.

When both parents work to provide a certain lifestyle and resources to their children, the court noted, it is expected that they cannot always be physically with their children, a bench of justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan observed.