How to Appeal a Family Court Decree in Punjab: Which Decrees Can Be Appealed and Where
Which Punjab family court decrees can be appealed? See the Rs 100,000 dower and Rs 5,000 maintenance cut-offs, the khula rule and which court hears the appeal.
Short answer: In Punjab you can appeal a family court decree to the District Court, or to the High Court if the family judge holds the rank of District Judge or Additional District Judge. Some decrees cannot be appealed at all: a dissolution of marriage (with one narrow exception), dower or dowry up to Rs 100,000, and maintenance of Rs 5,000 a month or less. The appeal must be decided within four months.
A mother in Gujranwala wins a maintenance order of Rs 4,000 a month for her child. Her husband thinks it is too high and wants to appeal. He cannot. Under the Family Courts Act, a maintenance decree of Rs 5,000 or less a month is closed to appeal. If the order had been Rs 6,000, the door would be open. The amount decides the case before the case begins.
We read the Family Courts Act 1964 as it applies in Punjab, on the Punjab Code, the provincial law database, on 12 October 2026. The figures below are the Punjab figures, which differ from older federal text still found online.
The first question is which court hears the appeal
Section 14(1) of the Act sends a family court decree to one of two courts. The rank of the judge who passed the decree decides it.
| Who passed the decree | Appeal goes to |
|---|---|
| A District Judge, an Additional District Judge, or a person notified to have that rank | The High Court |
| Any other family court judge | The District Court |
Look at the first page of the decree. It names the judge and the rank. If you are unsure, ask the court's reader or a lawyer before you file, because an appeal in the wrong court loses time.
Three kinds of decree cannot be appealed
Section 14(2) closes the appeal door for three types. Check your decree against this list first, because it saves a fee and months.
| Decree is for | Appeal allowed? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolution of marriage | No, with one exception | The exception covers dissolution for reasons in clause (d) of item (viii) of section 2 of the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939 |
| Dower or dowry | Only above Rs 100,000 | No appeal if the amount is Rs 100,000 or less |
| Maintenance | Only above Rs 5,000 a month | No appeal if the amount is Rs 5,000 or less a month |
| Interim order | No | Section 14(3): no appeal or revision against an interim order |
| Custody and other decrees | Not on the excluded list | Ask a lawyer to confirm for your decree |
The Rs 100,000 and Rs 5,000 figures are the ones the Punjab Code shows, and its footnotes record that the Punjab Family Courts (Amendment) Act 2015 raised them from Rs 30,000 and Rs 1,000. The older figures still appear in the federal text. A Punjab litigant must use the Punjab ones.
Why a khula decree is hard to appeal
A khula decree dissolves a marriage. Section 14(2)(a) bars appeal against a decree for dissolution of marriage, apart from the single exception noted in the table. So the wife who wins khula, and the husband who lost, both face a closed door in most cases. Details of how that decree is obtained are in the note on khula in Pakistan.
A decree for dower or maintenance is a separate decree and is judged on the amount. How those claims run is covered in the notes on recovering haq mehr and dowry in a Punjab family court and on claiming maintenance in a Punjab family court.
The Act does not discuss other remedies when an appeal is barred. A lawyer can tell you whether any exist on the facts of your case.
How to file the appeal
An appeal is filed in writing before the appellate court. A lawyer normally prepares it, but a person may seek free help, as described in the note on getting a free lawyer in Punjab. These are the steps.
- Get a certified copy of the decree and judgment. The steps are in the note on getting a certified copy of a court order in Punjab.
- Check the amount and the type of decree against the table above.
- Identify the correct appellate court from the judge's rank.
- Prepare the memorandum of appeal, with the grounds that the decree is wrong in fact or in law.
- File it before the deadline, with the certified copy attached.
The deadline is not stated in the Family Courts Act
The Act sets a four month limit for the appellate court to decide, but does not itself say how many days you have to file. The general Limitation Act gives 30 days for a civil appeal to a District Judge and 90 days for a civil appeal to a High Court. The note on how long you have to sue in Pakistan sets out those articles.
We did not confirm which article a family appeal falls under, and we did not read the Punjab Family Courts rules. Treat 30 days from the date of the decree as the safe deadline for any appeal. Also, an appeal that comes late may be admitted for sufficient cause, but that is a request you should never need to make.
Common questions
Can I appeal a khula decree?
Generally no. Section 14(2)(a) bars appeals from a decree for dissolution of marriage, with one narrow exception tied to the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939.
Can I appeal a maintenance order of Rs 5,000 a month?
No. Appeal is barred for maintenance of Rs 5,000 or less per month in Punjab. An order above that amount can be appealed.
How long does the appeal take?
The appellate court must dispose of the appeal within four months, under section 14(4). Real timing varies by court.
Can I appeal an interim order?
No. Section 14(3) says no appeal or revision lies against an interim order of a family court.
Where do I appeal a child custody decree?
Custody is not on the excluded list, so the usual rule applies. The District Court hears it, or the High Court if the family judge is of District Judge rank.
Do these figures apply in Sindh or KP?
Not necessarily. The figures above are Punjab's. Other provinces have their own amendments, so check your own province's text.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the Family Courts Act 1964 on the Punjab Code on 12 October 2026, including its footnotes on the 2015 amendment. We also read the federal text on Pakistan Code and found the older figures there. We did not read the Punjab Family Courts Rules 1965 or the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act. This is general information, not legal advice.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
