A CRITICAL STUDY ON THE LEGITIMACY AND THE RIGHT OF INHERITANCE TO THE CHILDREN BORN OUT OF LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPS IN INDIA
AUTHORS – VISHAL N* & PREETHI R**, LLM SCHOLAR* & FACULTY OF LAW**, DEPARTMENT OF PROPERTY LAW, AT SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, THE TAMIL NADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY
BEST CITATION – VISHAL N & PREETHI R, A CRITICAL STUDY ON THE LEGITIMACY AND THE RIGHT OF INHERITANCE TO THE CHILDREN BORN OUT OF LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPS IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (4) OF 2024, PG. 701-711, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
ABSTRACT
This critical study explores the social and legal status of legitimacy and the rights of inheritance to the children born in the context of live-in relationships in India. The concept of legitimacy is deeply ingrained in Indian society and is closely tied to the institution of marriage. Children born out of wedlock, including those born out of live-in relationships, face social exclusion and stigmatisation. Moreover, the legal framework for inheritance rights of children born out of live-in relationships is complex and lacks clarity, leaving many children without any legal protection and inheritance rights. The study highlights the need for legal and social reforms that recognize the legitimacy of children born out of live-in relationships and ensure their inheritance rights. It also emphasises the need to change societal attitudes towards children born out of wedlock and promote their acceptance and inclusion in society. For the purpose of this research, an empirical method was followed and the data was collected through survey forms. The SPSS software by IBM was used to calculate the descriptive statistics. The sample size was 200.Dependent variables are social stigma surrounding live-in relationships, The personal laws do hinder the children from inheriting, uncertainty surrounding live-in relationships. Independent variables are Age, Gender, Marital Status, Educational Qualification, Occupation and Monthly income. Various tools like ANOVA, Chi Square, and sample t tests were used.
KEYWORDS – Inheritance, Property rights, Children, Live-in relationships, Legitimacy.