HC refused, Husband paying two-thirds of his income to his wife after divorce

Chennai, July 29: The Madras high court has advised family courts here on Friday not to treat husbands like "Armless soldiers" and not to order them to pay maintenance to wives in a "mechanical manner"

While coming to the matter, A man is a son to his parents and is liable to maintain his aged parents as well, the high court said, adding that family courts should not brush this aspect aside lightly and go to the extent of paying even two-thirds of his income to his estranged wife.

The bench headed by Justice RMT Teekaraman, pointing out that a family court had directed a man earning Rs 10,500 a month to pay Rs 7,000 to his wife and child, said it would leave just Rs 3,500 for the man to maintain himself and his aged father.

"While awarding the maintenance in favour of his wife and children, the court should take into consideration his responsibility to look after the aged old parents, since the husband has been fastened with statutory objections to look after and maintain not only his wife but also his parents under the very same Section 125 of the CrPC", he added.