Court stresses responsibility after marriage (Img: Internet)
Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a person who cannot support a spouse and children should reconsider marriage, underlining that financial hardship cannot be used to avoid legal responsibilities.
The observation came during the hearing of a matrimonial dispute related to interim maintenance, where the court emphasized that marriage carries clear and binding obligations.
A division bench comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Vivek Saran dismissed the appeal filed by Tej Bahadur Maurya. The petitioner had challenged an earlier family court directive requiring him to pay monthly maintenance to his wife.
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The High Court found no merit in the plea and upheld the lower court’s order, reinforcing that legal duties towards family members cannot be set aside lightly.
Previously, the family court had ordered the husband to pay Rs 4,000 per month as interim maintenance. Maurya argued that his financial condition was weak and had not been adequately considered.
However, the court noted that the amount was reasonable and not beyond his capacity. It also rejected his allegation that his wife was living with another person, citing a lack of credible evidence.
During the proceedings, the wife informed the court that she is not well educated, does not have a stable source of income, and is solely responsible for taking care of the children.
Taking these factors into account, the bench observed that the maintenance amount was justified and necessary to ensure basic support.
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The court reiterated that once a man enters into marriage, he is legally bound to provide for his family. Financial constraints, it said, do not absolve this duty.
It also clarified that the wife retains the right to seek additional maintenance for the children separately, if required. Finding no error in the earlier ruling, the High Court directed that the maintenance payments must continue.
