Overview
Maintenance runs on several parallel tracks: the quick summary route under Section 144 BNSS (the old 125 CrPC) for wives, children, and parents who cannot maintain themselves; interim maintenance and litigation costs under Section 24 HMA while a matrimonial case runs; and permanent alimony under Section 25 at decree. Amounts turn on the paying spouse's real income — which is why income discovery (salary slips, ITRs, business records, lifestyle evidence) decides these cases. We act for claimants seeking fair support and for payers facing inflated demands.
Key Provisions — BNSS + Hindu Marriage Act + HAMA, 2023 / 1955 / 1956
- Section 144 BNSS — maintenance for wife, children and parents unable to maintain themselves; enforceable by warrant, even arrest.
- Supreme Court guidelines (Rajnesh v. Neha) mandate asset-and-income affidavits from both sides and set criteria for quantum.
- Interim maintenance runs from the date of application; arrears accumulate and are recoverable.
- Orders are revisable on changed circumstances — job loss, remarriage, or discovery of hidden income.
What You Can Get
How We Handle It
Income Mapping
Both sides' asset-income affidavits; we trace real earnings, not declared ones.
File / Defend
Application under the right provision — or a grounded reply against an inflated claim.
Interim Order
Support from the application date while the matter is heard.
Final Quantum & Enforcement
Final order — and warrant-backed recovery if payments stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
My husband shows almost no income on paper — what can I get?
Courts look past paper: lifestyle, property, business turnover and bank flows establish earning capacity. The Rajnesh affidavit format exists precisely for this.
Can a working wife claim maintenance?
Employment doesn't bar the claim; the test is whether her income sustains a comparable standard of living. It affects quantum, not eligibility.
Legal Connect connects you with independent family-law advocates; we are not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal advice. Family matters are handled with complete confidentiality — call +91 22 6555 3444.