In a landmark ruling regarding marital disputes, the Karnataka High Court has raised the interim financial assistance provided to a wife by her estranged husband. Highlighting the vital role of caring for children as a full-time responsibility, the court underscored the importance of the decision.
Presiding over the case, Justice M Nagaprasanna emphatically asserted that “taking care of children is a full-time job,” rebuffing the husband’s contention that his wife was idling away instead of seeking employment. The judge underscored the exhaustive nature of parenting, emphasizing that the role entails “countless responsibilities and necessary expenditure from time to time.”
The case emerged when the woman lodged a petition challenging a family court decision that required her husband to provide ₹18,000 monthly as interim maintenance during their ongoing marital dispute. Presented by her legal representative, the woman pushed for an escalation in maintenance to ₹36,000 monthly, citing her husband’s steady employment at Canara Bank, where he earns nearly ₹90,000 monthly.
Highlighting the husband’s substantial earnings and the woman’s decision to leave her job at his behest to focus on childcare, her counsel contended that the husband was neglecting his financial obligations towards their children, including educational expenses.
In contrast, the husband’s legal counsel argued that the petitioner was capable of earning independently, having previously served as a lecturer. However, Justice Nagaprasanna, drawing upon Supreme Court precedents, emphasized that maintenance should reflect the standard of living experienced during the marriage.
Dismissing the husband’s assertions of job instability, the Court noted the secure nature of his position at a government undertaking, categorically stating that his arguments were “misleading and mischievous.”
Consequently, the High Court upheld the woman’s plea, increasing the interim maintenance to ₹36,000 per month.
