The Gujarat High Court held that merely because a wife is earning, it cannot be the sole ground to deny her maintenance from her husband.
Key Observations
The Court clarified that earning some income does not automatically mean the wife is financially independent or self-sufficient.
It emphasized that the standard of living and comparative financial status of both spouses must be considered.
Maintenance aims to ensure that the wife can live with dignity similar to the lifestyle she had during marriage.
Court’s View
The Bench noted that if the wife’s income is insufficient to maintain herself adequately, she is still entitled to maintenance.
The husband’s financial capacity and obligations must also be taken into account while deciding maintenance.
Legal Principle
A wife’s income alone is not enough to deny maintenance; the test is whether she can sustain herself with dignity comparable to her marital standard of living.
