Indian Courts Clarify Maintenance Rights for Wives and Widowed Daughters-in-Law

Recent Indian court rulings have clarified maintenance rights within Hindu personal law. The Delhi High Court ruled that inherited property and gifts to a wife cannot be counted as her income to deny maintenance, upholding a Rs 50,000 monthly interim support. The Allahabad High Court affirmed that a wife’s maintenance can be up to 25% of her husband’s income, dismissing challenges based on the husband’s limited earnings. Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled that a widowed daughter-in-law may claim maintenance from her deceased father-in-law’s estate regardless of the timing of widowhood, emphasizing legal obligations beyond asset inheritance.