Karnataka court denies maintenance claim of wife who left home ‘without cause’

The Karnataka High Court has ruled that a wife who leaves her matrimonial home without a valid reason may be disqualified from seeking maintenance from her husband. The court noted that a wife can receive maintenance if her husband has neglected her or refused to provide financial support and if she is unable to maintain herself.

In a recent case, a woman challenged a family court order from November 29, 2023, which denied her request for monthly maintenance. The bench observed that leaving the matrimonial home without reasonable cause is a disqualification for seeking maintenance. The husband argued that they had been married for over 25 years and that his wife went to her parents' house to care for them after they contracted COVID-19.

However, he alleged that she refused to return to their home and even filed a case against him when he visited her parents' house to ask her to come back. The bench dismissed the wife's plea, stating that she failed to establish the reasonable cause for leaving the matrimonial home. The court also noted that the husband had taken a loan to purchase a property in his wife's name, but there was no proof of harassment or financial support from her.