Supreme Court Orders ₹5 Crore Permanent Alimony to Wife and ₹1 Crore to Son After Divorce
The Supreme Court of India has directed a husband to pay ₹5 crore as a one-time permanent alimony to his wife following the end of their marriage. The Court also ordered him to provide ₹1 crore for the financial security of their adult son.
The bench, made up of Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna B. Varale, emphasized the father’s duty to support his child even after the divorce.
The couple had been living separately for almost twenty years after just six years of marriage. The husband accused the wife of being hypersensitive and disrespectful towards his family, while the wife alleged mistreatment by the husband.
Considering their long separation and the fact that there was no possibility of reconciliation, the Court declared that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.
Although other issues like jurisdiction and interim maintenance under the Hindu Marriage Act were raised, the Court decided that the only matter left to resolve was the amount of permanent alimony.
The Court outlined important factors to decide the alimony:
- Social and financial status of both parties
- Reasonable needs of the wife and dependent children
- Employment and qualifications of both
- Independent income or property of the applicant
- Standard of living enjoyed during marriage
- Any career sacrifices made by the wife
- Litigation costs for a non-working wife
- Husband’s financial capacity and liabilities
The judges clarified that these factors are guidelines, not strict rules, and that alimony should ensure a dignified life for the wife without being a punishment for the husband.
In this case, since the wife was unemployed and had been a homemaker, while the husband worked in a managerial role at a foreign bank earning around ₹10 to ₹12 lakh per month, the Court found it fair to order him to pay ₹5 crore to the wife as a one-time settlement.
Additionally, the Court ordered ₹1 crore for the adult son’s financial support.
This decision was made in the case titled PARVIN KUMAR JAIN vs ANJU JAIN.
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