High Court Balances Overseas Income in Maintenance Dispute

The Delhi High Court increased a woman's interim maintenance, stating it can't be precisely calculated. The court emphasized that foreign earnings alone don't justify converting income directly for maintenance. It ordered a revised monthly amount of Rs 1 lakh, acknowledging lifestyle and surrounding circumstances.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that interim maintenance amounts cannot be determined with mathematical precision. The ruling came as the court enhanced a woman's interim maintenance, highlighting that simply earning in foreign currency does not entitle a wife to claim maintenance by automatically converting the husband's income into Indian currency.

Justice Amit Mahajan stressed that determining interim maintenance requires a degree of estimation and informed guesswork, particularly when one spouse works abroad and income disclosures are incomplete. The case involved a woman and her husband's petitions against a previous order awarding Rs 50,000 per month.

The court noted the husband works in the US and earns in foreign currency, impacting his living expenses and standard. It increased the maintenance to Rs 1 lakh per month, balancing the husband's income with the reality of living costs abroad and ensuring a fair assessment.

(With inputs from agencies.)