Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest. 

Dear noble brothers, what is the meaning of maintaining kin ties? Who else other than you can support your relatives? People with whom you have no familial ties or kin ties might be financially supported by you and by others, but your family and relatives have only you as a supporter.

Maintaining kin ties does not mean to visit your relatives for few moments every Eid, while deep inside you hope not to find them at home in order to save your time, leaving a card at their door in case they are not inside. This is not maintaining kin ties, but rather, maintaining kin ties, as Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, decrees, is calling your relative by phone at first, and then paying him a visit during which you check on his circumstances. After that, you can help him financially or morally. Finally, you guide him to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.