Maintenance · 22 July 2026
Wife Earning Substantially More Abroad Cannot Claim Maintenance Citing Exorbitant Foreign Living Costs
High Court of Judicature at Bombay · 2026 LiveLaw (Bom) 339
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The wife resided in the US and earned a salary substantially higher than her husband who was working in India. She demanded ₹1 Lakh per month as maintenance, claiming that the cost of living abroad was exorbitant.
The Bombay High Court held that a woman who earns substantially more than her spouse cannot claim maintenance merely on the pretext that foreign living expenses are high, as maintenance is designed to prevent vagrancy, not equalise overseas living costs.
Relevant provisions: Section 125 CrPC / Section 24, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
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