Alimony & Maintenance Estimator | Indian Divorce Benchmarks | Bharat Samvidhan

Estimate monthly maintenance and alimony ranges based on Supreme Court of India guidelines, Section 125 of CrPC, and the new Section 144 of BNSS.

FAMILY LAW & STATUTORY BENCHMARKS

Alimony & Maintenance Estimator

Calculate estimated monthly maintenance ranges using direct Supreme Court benchmarks (25% baseline) and Section 125 of CrPC / Section 144 of BNSS.

Input Details

Husband's Net Monthly Income (₹)

setHusbandIncome(e.target.value)} required />

Wife's Net Monthly Income (₹)

setWifeIncome(e.target.value)} />

Minor Children

setChildrenCount(e.target.value)} >

None

1 Child

2 Children

3+ Children

Child Expenses (₹/mo)

setChildExpenses(e.target.value)} disabled= />

Duration of Marriage (Years)

setMarriageDuration(e.target.value)} required />

Estimate Maintenance

Reset

Estimator Summary

Estimated Monthly Spousal Support

Lower Bound (20%)

₹ / mo

Standard Baseline (25%)

₹ / mo

Upper Bound (30%)

₹ / mo

Wife's Share (%)

₹ / mo

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Landmark Rulings

In *Kalyan Dey Chowdhury v. Rita Dey Chowdhury*, the Supreme Court ruled that **25% of the husband's net salary** is a just and proper benchmark for maintenance.

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Legal Guidelines on Maintenance

Q1: Under what laws is maintenance claimed in India?

Maintenance is claimed under **Section 125 of CrPC** (now **Section 144 of the BNSS**) as a secular provision, or under personal laws such as Section 24 (interim maintenance) and Section 25 (permanent alimony) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

Q2: How is lump-sum alimony calculated?

There is no statutory formula. Courts typically estimate a lump-sum amount representing **one-third (33%) to one-fifth (20%)** of the husband's total net worth or lifetime earnings, considering the duration of the marriage.

Q3: Does a working wife qualify for maintenance?

Yes. Even if the wife is earning, if her income is significantly lower than the husband's and insufficient to maintain the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage, courts can award proportional maintenance.