Work from home does not give parent edge in child custody cases: Supreme Court

Before hearing the appeal, the Supreme Court spoke with both parents and the children. It had also paused all cases between the parties for three months to allow them time to try and settle the dispute.

When the matter was listed again on November 25, 2025, the Bench was told that no settlement had been reached, so the Court proceeded to decide the case.

While examining the reasons given by the High Court, the Bench rejected the notion that remote work gives a parent an inherent edge in custody matters. It noted that married couples often work to support family needs and secure education for their children and that this reality cannot disadvantage a parent who is required to go to office.

“This cannot be a ground to place the custody of the child with the one who may be temporarily working from home because it is a matter of common knowledge that to meet individual as well as family aspirations married couples have to work to build a proper home and most importantly to secure better education for their ward which is getting costlier day by day.”