Private matters, handled privately.

Adults who choose to marry, sometimes without family approval, often ask how to do it properly. We explain what Pakistani law requires for a valid nikah, check the documents, help with the declaration of free consent and see the marriage registered with the union council under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961.

A wife who wants to end her marriage can seek khula in the family court under the Family Courts Act 1964, alongside the grounds available under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939. We explain privately what the process involves, including its effect on dower, then prepare the suit and represent her through reconciliation and decree.

Talaq carries formal requirements under the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961, and mistakes can leave people unsure whether they are still married. We guide clients quietly through pronouncement, written notice to the Union Council chairman and the reconciliation stage, then help obtain the certificate confirming the divorce is effective.

Where a wife or children are not being supported as the law requires, a maintenance claim can be filed in the family court. We present the household's needs and the respondent's means with evidence, and ask for interim maintenance where support is needed at once. Those facing claims they consider excessive or no longer justified can rely on us too.

Unpaid dower and dowry articles that were never returned remain enforceable after a marriage ends. The nikahnama is the starting point for dower; for dowry, receipts, photographs and witnesses usually carry the claim. We file in the family court and follow the decree into execution, because an unpaid decree helps no one.

Under the Guardians and Wards Act 1890, custody turns on the welfare of the child, judged on each family's own facts. We help parents put their circumstances before the court clearly and calmly, and push for visitation arrangements that actually work. Agreement is encouraged where it serves the child; where it is not possible, we argue the case firmly.

Family courts follow their own procedure, built around reconciliation and quicker decisions than ordinary civil courts. We appear in the full range of family suits, from filing and pre-trial reconciliation through evidence and judgment to appeal and execution. Throughout, we keep hearings focused and protect the client's privacy as far as the process allows.

Banks, companies and other institutions will rarely release a deceased person's assets to heirs without a succession certificate or letters of administration. We prepare the application with full details of heirs and assets, deal with the public notice and any objections, and then present the certificate to each institution so the funds or shares are actually released.

Inheritance disputes tend to arise when heirs disagree over shares, when property sits in one heir's name, or when a sister or another heir is left out. We advise on entitlement under the personal law that applied to the deceased, help families reach a written partition where they can, and go to court when they cannot.

Pakistanis living abroad often need a family matter settled here without flying back for every hearing. Sutra Law acts through properly attested powers of attorney, arranges for foreign documents to be usable in Pakistan, and reports regularly by phone, email or video. We also flag early the stages where personal appearance or a recorded statement may still be required.

Many family disputes end better in agreement than in judgment, especially where children are involved. We negotiate discreetly on maintenance, custody, property and money, often with both families in the room, and write the result into clear terms that can be enforced. A well-drafted agreement also gives the parties something to return to if disagreements resurface.