Divorce
Mutual-consent and contested divorce under the relevant personal and civil laws — filed cleanly, moved forward steadily.
Family & matrimonial law · Pune
Steady counsel through life's hardest paperwork.
Separation, custody, maintenance — the legal parts of a hard season shouldn't have to feel bewildering too. We sit with you, explain the road ahead in plain words, and carry the filings so you can look after your family.
- Family & matrimonial only
- 15+ years at the Pune bar
- First conversation is free & confidential
One thing, done well
We practise family & matrimonial law and nothing else. It is all we think about.
15+ years at the Pune bar
Time in the family courts of Pune, and the calm that comes with it.
A free first conversation
Tell us what's happening, in confidence, before you decide anything.
What we help with
The matters that reshape a family, handled with care.
Whether you're at the very start or already mid-way through, there's a way through each of these — and we'll walk it with you.
Child custody & access
Custody, guardianship and visitation arrangements built around the welfare of your child, not the heat of the moment.
Maintenance & alimony
Fair spousal and child maintenance — claimed or defended — with a realistic view of what a court is likely to order.
Mediation & mutual settlement
Where there's room to agree, we keep the temperature down and settle out of court — quicker, quieter, and easier on everyone.
Streedhan & property division
Recovery of streedhan and a clear-eyed division of jointly held property, so you leave with what is rightfully yours.
NRI & cross-border matters
Matrimonial matters that span countries — jurisdiction, documentation and hearings managed while you're living abroad.
What to expect
Four steady steps, no surprises.
You'll always know where you are and what's next. Here is how a matter usually unfolds with us.
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1
A first conversation
Free, confidential and without obligation. You talk, we listen, and we tell you honestly whether you even need a lawyer yet.
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2
Understanding your matter
We go through the documents, the dates and the relationships, and explain what the law actually says about your situation.
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3
A clear plan & your options
Mediation, mutual consent or a contested route — laid out plainly, with the likely timeline and trade-offs of each.
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4
Steady representation
We handle the filings, the hearings and the paperwork, and keep you updated at every turn — no chasing us for news.
How we work
Firm on the law. Gentle with the people.
Family matters are rarely only legal. We keep the case moving with quiet rigour, while remembering that there are real lives — often children's — on the other side of every filing.
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Children first
Where children are involved, their stability is the fixed point everything else is measured against.
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Plain language
No Latin, no jargon walls. If we can't explain a step simply, we haven't understood it well enough.
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Held in confidence
What you share with us stays between us. Discretion isn't a policy line — it's the whole job.
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Calm under pressure
Especially in mediation, we keep things measured — settling from strength rather than escalating for its own sake.
"Most of our clients arrive frightened of the process. Our first job is to make the process the least of their worries."
15+years at the Pune bar
Our people
A small practice, so you're never a file number.
Hearth & Vale is a compact family-law practice in Erandwane, Pune. You'll work with a partner from day one — the same face through every hearing.
Aditi Vale
Founding Partner
Leads matrimonial and mediation matters. Fifteen years in Pune's family courts, and an accredited family mediator who would always rather settle than fight.
Meera Gokhale
Partner · Custody & Maintenance
Focuses on child custody, guardianship and maintenance. Known for calm, meticulous preparation and for keeping children out of the crossfire.
Sameer Kulkarni
Senior Associate · Documentation
Runs the paperwork, filings and court coordination, and is usually the one who answers when you call with a question between hearings.
Gentle answers
The questions most people ask first.
If yours isn't here, ask us directly — no question is too small, and the first conversation is free.
Is the first consultation really free?
Yes. A first conversation — in person at our Pune office or over a call — is on us, and it's genuinely no-obligation. We'll tell you honestly whether you need to take any action at all.
How long does a mutual-consent divorce take in Pune?
For an uncontested, mutual-consent divorce, most matters conclude in roughly six to eighteen months, depending on the statutory cooling-off period and the court's calendar.
Contested matters take longer. We'll give you a realistic timeline for your specific situation at the outset.
Will we have to go to court?
Not always. A great many family matters settle through mediation or mutual consent, with only brief, formal court appearances. When a full hearing is unavoidable, we prepare you thoroughly so it feels far less daunting than you'd expect.
How is child custody decided?
Courts weigh one thing above all: the welfare of the child. We help you put forward a stable, workable arrangement — practical about schooling, routine and both parents' roles — rather than a position built only to win.
Is everything I tell you kept confidential?
Yes. Your conversations with us are privileged and private. You can speak freely, including about the parts that feel difficult to say out loud.
Can you help if I live outside India?
Regularly. We advise NRI clients on jurisdiction, arrange powers of attorney, and coordinate hearings so that most matters can move forward without you needing to fly back for every date.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Let's talk it through, whenever you're ready.
Book a free, confidential consultation — or just send a message and we'll get back to you the same working day.