Delhi High Court: High Cost of Living and Rise in Husband’s Income Valid Grounds for Enhanced Alimony
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a husband’s increased income and the rising cost of living are valid factors to enhance the maintenance payable to his separated wife, even if he is retired and drawing a pension. Background of the Case The case involved a 60-year-old woman who challenged a family court’s order that had refused to increase her monthly maintenance. The couple married in April 1990 but separated just two years later, after the woman alleged dowry demands and harassment . In 2012 , a family court directed the husband to pay ₹10,000 per month in maintenance. In 2018 , the woman sought an enhancement, citing her husband’s promotion from Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) to Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) , which increased his salary before retirement. Plea of the Wife The woman argued that: The maintenance was originally fixed based on her husband’s ₹28,000 monthly salary in 2012, but by the time of her petition, his salary had risen to ₹40,000 . He...