Legal postion

All personal laws in India do not treat the ‘second wife’ equally. Typically, a second wife is given an inferior status in Indian society, particularly if the first legally wedded wife is still alive. It is not unusual even for family members to look down on the second wife as the ‘other woman.’ There are no separate provisions in Indian law, which define the legal position of second wives simply because the law does not recognize the second wife unless the man has obtained divorce from the first wife.