What is the ruling on not attending an occasion to which an acquaintance has been invited due to circumstances that can be overcome with difficulty, and is this considered severing ties of kinship?

Not attending an occasion is not considered a severing of kinship ties, for the definition of maintaining ties refers to custom, and it is fulfilled through greeting, visiting, and giving gifts, and similar actions. The kinship ties that are obligatory to maintain are limited to relatives between whom marriage is forbidden.