Delhi High Court: Wife’s Non-Employment Not ‘Idleness’ in Maintenance Claims

The Delhi High Court has held that a wife’s non-employment cannot be equated with idleness while deciding maintenance claims.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that a homemaker’s unpaid domestic labour enables the earning spouse to function effectively and must be recognised while determining maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

The Court clarified that “capacity to earn” is distinct from “actual earnings,” and mere employability cannot be a ground to refuse support.

Awarding ₹50,000 to the wife, the Court also cautioned that maintenance disputes often turn excessively adversarial and encouraged mediation as a more constructive path in matrimonial conflicts.