16. Presumption as to registered documents relating to adoption. Whenever any document registered under any law for the time being in force is produced before any court purporting to record an adoption made and is signed by the person giving and the person taking the child in adoption, the courtKEEP READING

17. Prohibition of certain payments. (1) No person shall receive or agree to receive any payment or other reward in consideration of the adoption of any person, and no person shall make or give or agree to make or give to any other person any payment or reward the receiptKEEP READING

CHAPTER III – MAINTENANCE 18. Maintenance of wife. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a Hindu wife, whether married before or after the commencement of this Act, shall be entitled to be maintained by her husband during her lifetime. (2) A Hindu wife shall be entitled to live separatelyKEEP READING

19. Maintenance of widowed daughter-in-law. (1) A Hindu wife, whether married before or after the commencement of this Act, shall be entitled to be maintained after the death of her husband by her father-in-law; Provided and to the extent that she is unable to maintain herself out of her ownKEEP READING

20. Maintenance of children and aged parents. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section a Hindu is bound, during his or her lifetime, to maintain his or her legitimate or illegitimate children and his or her aged or infirm parents. (2) A legitimate or illegitimate child may claim maintenanceKEEP READING

21. Dependents defined. For the purposes of this Chapter “dependents” mean the following relatives of the deceased- (i) his or her father; (ii) his or her mother; (iii) his widow, so long as she does not remarry; (iv) his or her son or the son of his predeceased son orKEEP READING

22. Maintenance of dependents. (1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), the heirs of a deceased Hindu are bound to maintain the dependents of the deceased out of the estate inherited by them from the deceased. (2) Where a dependent has not obtained, by testamentary or intestate succession, anyKEEP READING

23. Amount of maintenance. (1) It shall be in the discretion of the court to determine whether any, and if so what, maintenance shall be awarded under the provisions of this Act, and in doing so, the court shall have due regard to the consideration set out in sub-section (2)KEEP READING

24. Claimant to maintenance should be a Hindu. No person shall be entitled to claim maintenance under this Chapter if he or she has ceased to be a Hindu by conversion to another religion. Read Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act on a single, systematic page. Download PDF for Hindu AdoptionsKEEP READING

25. Amount of maintenance may be altered on change of circumstances. The amount of maintenance, whether fixed by a decree of court or by agreement either before or after the commencement of this Act, may be altered subsequently if there is a material change in the circumstances justifying such alteration.KEEP READING

26. Debts to have priority. Subject to the provisions contained in Section 27 debts of every description contracted or payable by the deceased shall have priority over the claims of his dependents for maintenance under this Act. Read Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act on a single, systematic page. Download PDFKEEP READING

27. Maintenance when to be a charge. A dependent’s claim for maintenance under this Act shall not be a charge on the estate of the deceased or any portion thereof, unless one has been created by the will of the deceased, by a decree of court, by agreement between theKEEP READING

28. Effect of transfer of property on right or maintenance. Where a dependent has a right to receive maintenance out of an estate and such estate or any part thereof is transferred, the right to receive maintenance may be enforced against the transferee if the transferee has notice of theKEEP READING

30. Savings. Nothing contained in this Act shall affect any adoption made before the commencement of this Act, and the validity and effect of any such adoption shall be determined as if this Act had not been passed. Read Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act on a single, systematic page. DownloadKEEP READING