alimony.lol

79 judgements

Supreme Court of India: maintenance judgements

Every Supreme Court maintenance judgement in the casebook, 1970 to 2026. These are the decisions every court below is bound to follow, which makes them the ones worth reading first.

You are here for a number. The calculator gives you one, built from every judgement on this page.

Calculate your maintenance →

The Supreme Court does not fix maintenance for the country. It fixes the method. Most of what follows is not a figure you can borrow but a rule about how the figure is reached: that maintenance runs from the date of the application, that a wife's qualifications do not by themselves defeat a claim, that an earning wife can still be entitled, and that the standard of living in the marriage is the reference point rather than bare subsistence.

Where an award is given below, the second line restates it in today's money. A 1970 order for Rs 250 a month is not a small order. It is roughly Rs 13,400 a month in 2026 terms, and reading it any other way gets the case backwards.

Reading the columnThe middle monthly award in this group, restated in today's money, is Rs 13,430. Half sit below it and half above. It is a median, not a target, and it says nothing about what any particular set of facts is worth.

CaseCourtYearAwardedClaimed underOutcome
Employer Deduction Case (SC 2026)Supreme Court of India2026Rs 25,000Not recordedGranted
Mahabharata CaseSupreme Court of India2026Rs 5,00,00,000Article 142Settled
SC 54-yr Govt Employee Divorce RefusedSupreme Court of India2026Rs 15,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Employer Salary Deduction CaseSupreme Court of India2026Rs 25,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Enhanced Alimony Doctor Husband Educated Wife Duty To MaintainSupreme Court2026Rs 30,000Section 25 HMAEnhanced on appeal
SC Ex-Wife Educated Parental Support 2026Supreme Court of India2026Not statedNot recordedGranted
SC Husband Claimed Cannot Afford 12000 Monthly Maintenance No One Earns 9000 Today UpheldSupreme Court2026Rs 12,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Man Claiming 325 Per Day Ordered Pay 10000 Monthly Maintenance Estranged WifeSupreme Court2026Rs 10,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Matrimonial Battle of Mahabharata Lawyer HusbandSupreme Court of India2026Rs 5,00,00,000Article 142
SC Rs 325/Day Earner Ordered 10000/MonthSupreme Court of India2026Rs 10,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Rs 9k Not Sufficient Case 2026Supreme Court of India2026Rs 12,000Not recordedGranted
XXX v. YYYSupreme Court of India2026Rs 5,00,00,000Not recordedGranted
A. Ranjithkumar v. E. KavithaSupreme Court of India2025Rs 1,25,00,000Article 142Granted
AB v. JKSupreme Court of India2025Rs 5,00,00,000Section 25 HMAEnhanced on appeal
AB v. JKSupreme Court of India2025Rs 50,00,000Not recordedEnhanced on appeal
ABC v. XYZSupreme Court of India2025Rs 1,00,00,000Article 142Settled
ABC v. XYZSupreme Court of India2025Rs 10,00,000Not recordedGranted
ABC v. XYZSupreme Court of India2025Rs 1,00,00,000Not recordedGranted
ABC v. XYZSupreme Court of India2025Rs 25,00,000Not recorded
ABC v. XYZSupreme Court of India2025Not statedNot recordedGranted
ABC v. XYZ (MBA wife)Supreme Court of India2025Rs 0Not recorded
ABC v. XYZ (SC 1 Crore Article 142)Supreme Court of India2025Rs 1,00,00,000Article 142Granted
M.V. Leelavathi v. Dr. C.R. SwamySupreme Court of India2025Rs 50,00,000Section 25 HMAGranted
N. Usha Rani and Anr. v. Moodudula SrinivasSupreme Court of India2025Rs 3,500Section 125 CrPCGranted
Pradeep Bhardwaj v. PriyaSupreme Court of India2025Not statedArticle 142Granted
R v. DSupreme Court of India2025Not statedNot recordedGranted
Rakhi Sadhukhan (SC Calcutta Enhancement)Supreme Court of India2025Rs 50,000Section 25 HMAEnhanced on appeal
Rakhi Sadhukhan v. Raja SadhukhanSupreme Court of India2025Rs 50,000Section 25 HMAGranted
Rina Kumari @ Rina Devi v. Dinesh Kumar MahtoSupreme Court of India2025Rs 10,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC 1.25 Crore USA CaseSupreme Court of India2025Rs 1,25,00,000Article 142Settled
SC Alimony First Divorce Irrelevant Second MarriageSupreme Court of India2025Rs 4,00,00,000Article 142Settled
SC Alimony Valid for Void Marriage Under HMASupreme Court of India2025Not statedSection 25 HMA
SC Divorced Wife Standard Living 2025Supreme Court of India2025Rs 50,000Not recordedEnhanced on appeal
SC Enhanced Alimony Former AAG Wife Family Court Judge Husband 50 LakhSupreme Court2025Rs 50,00,000Section 25 HMAEnhanced on appeal
SC Enhanced Permanent Alimony 50000 Monthly Standard Living Married 1997 Separated 2008Supreme Court2025Rs 50,000Section 25 HMA
SC Laborer Maintenance Case 2025Supreme Court of India2025Rs 10,000Not recordedGranted
SC LinkedIn BMW Rs 12 Crore RejectedSupreme Court of India2025Rs 0Section 25 HMARefused
SC LinkedIn Profile Not Reliable Income Proof Wife 12 Crore BMW Alimony Demand RejectedSupreme Court2025Rs 0Section 25 HMA
SC MBA Wife 8 Year Dispute Settled Mumbai Flat Alimony 12 Crore BMW Demand RejectedSupreme Court2025Not statedSection 25 HMASettled
SC Rare Waiver Alimony Appreciated 2025Supreme Court of India2025Rs 0Not recorded
SC Relax Pay Maintenance Be Happy 2025Supreme Court of India2025Not statedNot recorded
SC Rs 1.25 Crore Alimony Article 142 2025Supreme Court of India2025Rs 1,25,00,000Not recorded
SC Rs 9000 Income Cannot Afford Rs 12000Supreme Court of India2025Rs 12,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
SC Separated First Wife Maintenance 2025Supreme Court of India2025Not statedNot recordedGranted
SC Void Marriage Alimony CaseSupreme Court of India2025Not statedNot recordedGranted
Shakti v. AnitaSupreme Court of India2025Rs 10,00,000Section 25 HMASettled
Sonia Virk v. Rohit VatsSupreme Court of India2025Rs 50,00,000Section 25 HMAGranted
Sukhdev Singh v. Sukhbir KaurSupreme Court of India2025Not statedSections 24 and 25 HMAGranted
Kiran Jyot Maini v. Anish Pramod PatelSupreme Court of India2024Rs 2,00,00,000Article 142Granted
Mohd. Abdul Samad v. State of TelanganaSupreme Court of India2024Rs 10,000Section 125 CrPCGranted
Parvin Kumar Jain v. Anju JainSupreme Court of India2024Rs 5,00,00,000Section 25 HMAGranted
Rinku Baheti v. Sandesh Sharda (Rs 12 Cr)Supreme Court of India2024Rs 12,00,00,000Article 142Granted
SC Lecturer 40 Lakh CaseSupreme Court of India2024Rs 40,00,000Article 142Settled
SC Wealth Parity Maintenance Disapproval 2024Supreme Court of India2024Not statedNot recordedRefused
Shilpa Sailesh v. Varun SreenivasanSupreme Court of India2023Not statedArticle 142Granted
SC 74-yr Man Jail Civil PrisonSupreme Court of India2021Rs 1,75,000Rs 2,16,363 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Rajnesh v. Neha & Anr.Supreme Court of India2020Rs 15,000Rs 19,452 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Reema Salkan v. Sumer Singh SalkanSupreme Court of India2018Not statedSection 125 CrPCGranted
Kalyan Dey Chowdhury v. Rita Dey ChowdhurySupreme Court of India2017Rs 20,000Rs 30,909 in today's moneySection 25 HMAGranted
Manish Jain v. Akanksha JainSupreme Court of India2017Rs 25,000Rs 38,636 in today's moneySection 24 HMAGranted
Shailja v. KhobbannaSupreme Court of India2017Not statedSection 125 CrPCGranted
Shamima Farooqui v. Shahid KhanSupreme Court of India2015Rs 4,000Rs 6,649 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Bhuwan Mohan Singh v. MeenaSupreme Court of India2014Rs 2,500Rs 4,399 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Shamim Bano v. Asraf KhanSupreme Court of India2014Rs 11,786Rs 20,741 in today's moneyMuslim Women Act 1986Granted
Sunita Kachwaha v. Anil KachwahaSupreme Court of India2014Rs 3,000Rs 5,279 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Vidhya Viswanathan v. Kartik BalakrishnanSupreme Court of India2014Rs 40,00,000Rs 70,39,196 in today's moneySection 25 HMAGranted
Badshah v. Urmila Badshah GodseSupreme Court of India2013Rs 1,000Rs 1,872 in today's moneySection 125 CrPC
U. Sree v. U. SrinivasSupreme Court of India2012Rs 50,00,000Rs 1,03,78,738 in today's moneySection 25 HMAGranted
Vishwanath Agrawal v. SarlaSupreme Court of India2012Rs 50,00,000Rs 1,03,78,738 in today's moneySection 25 HMAGranted
Vinny Parmvir Parmar v. Parmvir ParmarSupreme Court of India2011Rs 40,000Rs 90,762 in today's moneySection 25 HMAGranted
Bhushan Kumar Meen v. Mansi MeenSupreme Court of India2010Rs 5,000Rs 12,350 in today's moneySection 125 CrPC
Anu Kaul v. Rajeev KaulSupreme Court of India2009Rs 0Section 24 HMA
Chaturbhuj v. Sita BaiSupreme Court of India2008Not statedSection 125 CrPCGranted
Danial Latifi v. Union of IndiaSupreme Court of India2001Not statedMuslim Women Act 1986Granted
Jasbir Kaur Sehgal v. District Judge DehradunSupreme Court of India1997Rs 5,000Rs 28,018 in today's moneySection 24 HMAGranted
Chand Dhawan v. Jawaharlal DhawanSupreme Court of India1993Not statedSection 25 HMAGranted
Shah Bano (Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum)Supreme Court of India1985Rs 179Rs 2,909 in today's moneySection 125 CrPCGranted
Bhagwan Dutt v. Kamla DeviSupreme Court of India1975Not statedSection 125 CrPCGranted
Dr. Kulbhushan Kumar v. Raj KumariSupreme Court of India1970Rs 250Rs 13,430 in today's moneyHAMA Section 18Granted

Nine questions, then the judgements closest to your own facts.

Estimate my maintenance →