Section 14 of HAM Act : Section 14: Determination Of Adoptive Mother In Certain Cases

Explanation using Example

Example: Mr. Sharma, a Hindu man with a living wife, Mrs. Sharma, decides to adopt a child. According to Section 14(1) of The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, upon the adoption of the child, Mrs. Sharma automatically becomes the adoptive mother of the child.

In another scenario, Mr. Iyer, also a Hindu, has two wives and with the consent of both, he adopts a child. As per Section 14(2), his first wife (the one he married first) is considered the adoptive mother, while his second wife is regarded as the step-mother of the adopted child.

If Mr. Gupta, a widowed Hindu, adopts a child and later remarries, Section 14(3) states that his new wife would be the step-mother of his adopted child.

Lastly, if Ms. Verma, a Hindu widow, adopts a child and subsequently gets married, Section 14(4) ensures that her new husband is treated as the step-father of the adopted child.