Exploring Legal Rights and Socio-cultural Dynamics: A Comparative Analysis of Women’s Rights in Marriage versus Live-in Relationships

Marriage in India is revered as a sacramental bond, bringing together not just two individuals but also two families. However, this longstanding tradition is gradually being supplanted by the Western phenomenon of Live-in Relationships. Unlike marriage, a live-in relationship is an arrangement characterized by cohabitation and intimacy without legal recognition under Indian laws. Consequently, women in such unions do not enjoy the same rights and protections afforded to married women. Nonetheless, recognizing evolving societal norms, certain rights akin to those of married women are being extended to women in live-in relationships. This article undertakes a comparative analysis of the rights available to women in both marital and live-in arrangements, shedding light on the changing landscape of intimate partnerships in contemporary India.