A matrimonial maintenance application can look straightforward on paper.
But what happens when both spouses have income at different points of time?
The Delhi High Court dealt with precisely that question in Brijesh Rajkumar Suiri v. Navita Brijesh Suri, decided on 16 September 2026.
The parties had married in 2015 and had a daughter. The wife sought interim maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act during the divorce proceedings.
The Family Court assessed the husband's monthly income at ₹22,000 and directed him to pay ₹5,000 per month from the date of the maintenance application.
The husband challenged both the income assessment and the period for which maintenance was awarded.
THE IMPORTANT POINT OF THE JUDGMENT
The Delhi High Court did not interfere with the ₹22,000 income assessment or the ₹5,000 monthly maintenance amount.
But it examined something equally important:
Did the wife have her own income during the entire period for which maintenance had been awarded?
The record showed that she had worked at a Bata showroom and earned approximately ₹7,000 per month until June 2024.
The Court therefore held that she could not receive Section 24 maintenance for the period during which she had that independent income.
Her entitlement to the ₹5,000 monthly amount was consequently fixed from 1 July 2024, after she became unemployed.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This judgment is a useful reminder that interim maintenance is not simply a calculation based on the husband's salary.
The Court may consider:
the income of both parties,
earning capacity,
assets and liabilities,
independent income,
and the evidence actually placed before the Court.
The judgment also reiterates that income may sometimes have to be reasonably estimated where the documentary material is incomplete or unreliable.
For a Delhi executive, businessman or government employee facing matrimonial litigation, this makes financial documentation extremely important.
Salary certificates.
Bank statements.
ITRs.
Employment records.
Existing liabilities.
And evidence concerning the other spouse's independent income.
WHERE DOES PURUSH AAYOG DELHI COME INTO THE SEARCH?
Someone searching Purush Aayog Delhi, Men Cell Delhi, Man Cell Delhi or Men Cell Contact Number may actually be searching because a maintenance application has suddenly become a financial crisis.
The useful starting point is not a slogan.
It is the record.
If your matter concerns Delhi or Delhi-NCR, consultation can be discussed through:
WhatsApp: 9873540498
Phone and Google Meet consultation are available, with personal/on-site consultation in Delhi & Delhi-NCR where appropriate.
Men Cell Delhi:
https://mencelldelhi.mencell.org
Men Cell / Purush Aayog:
https://mencell.org
Atur Chatur Counselling:
https://www.aturchatur.com/2015/05/atur-chatur-counselling.html
The practical lesson from today's judgment is simple:
Don't discuss maintenance only in terms of a monthly figure. Build the complete financial timeline first.
Delhi High Court | 16 September 2026 | Brijesh Rajkumar Suiri v. Navita Brijesh Suri | Section 24 HMA | Interim Maintenance | Independent Income | Purush Aayog Delhi | Men Cell Delhi | Delhi-NCR | 9873540498