Bombay HC Cuts Interim Maintenance, Says Working Spouses Must Share Lifestyle Costs Equally

Mumbai, July 27, 2026: Observing that "equality cannot be claimed selectively" in matrimonial disputes, the Bombay High Court has reduced the interim maintenance payable by a husband to his wife and son, holding that earning spouses must both contribute towards maintaining their lifestyle.

High Court Reduces Maintenance

Justice M.M. Sathaye reduced the interim maintenance to Rs 25,000 per month while hearing a petition filed by a chartered accountant challenging a Family Court's January 2025 order directing him to pay Rs 50,000 per month as interim maintenance from October 30, 2021.

The husband argued that he lost his high-paying job during the Covid-19 pandemic, shifted from Mumbai to his native place in Madhya Pradesh, and now works as a chartered accountant there with a significantly reduced income. He also told the court that he was paying EMIs for two flats in Andheri and Panvel and was struggling to clear maintenance arrears.

He offered to pay Rs 25,000 per month if his wife agreed to shift to the Panvel flat, enabling him to sell the Andheri property and clear his liabilities. However, the wife opposed the proposal and said she did not want to move from Andheri.

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