Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah got married in September 1994 but have been living separately since 2009. Omar Abdullah had initially approached the family court seeking divorce on grounds of cruelty and desertion. The family court also held that Omar Abdullah had failed to prove irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Earlier, the Supreme Court had referred the matrimonial dispute to mediation after both sides agreed to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement. The Supreme Court had previously issued notice on Omar Abdullah's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order.