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Maintenance / Alimony Estimator (India)

Get a rough, illustrative sense of the range within which interim maintenance or alimony discussions often start, based on the payer's net monthly income and number of dependants. This is a starting point for conversation only — not a prediction of what any court will award.

Take-home income after tax and mandatory deductions.
Leave at 0 if the spouse has no independent income.
Illustrative indicative range
~₹10,400 – ₹18,400 per month

Illustrative range anchored loosely around 15%–25% of the payer's net monthly income, adjusted down for 2 dependants, with no adjustment for spouse income (none entered).

This is a rough illustration only, never a prediction. Actual maintenance or alimony is decided by the court on the specific facts of the case — income of both spouses, reasonable needs, standard of living during marriage, number of dependants, conduct of the parties and other circumstances. Two cases with similar incomes can receive very different orders.

How this illustration is built

Courts do not apply a fixed formula for maintenance or alimony. However, in several matters the Supreme Court has observed that, absent special circumstances, interim maintenance in the range of about 25% of the payer's net monthly income can be a reasonable starting benchmark for a dependent spouse — subject always to the facts of the case. This tool takes that broad observation only as a rough anchor:

  • Start with roughly 25% of the payer's net monthly income as an upper anchor, and roughly 15% as a lower anchor, to generate an indicative band rather than a single number.
  • The band is nudged down as the number of dependants rises above one, since a larger share of the payer's remaining income is treated as already committed to their own reasonable expenses.
  • The band is nudged down further if the spouse has meaningful independent income of their own, since maintenance typically bridges a gap in need rather than fully equalising two incomes.
  • The result is floored at zero and is deliberately shown as a range, not a single "answer" — courts weigh many more factors than this tool can capture (arrears, lifestyle, health, dependents' education, existing assets, conduct, etc.).

Sources & legal basis

  • Section 125, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (maintenance of wives, children and parents) / corresponding provision under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
  • Section 24, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (interim maintenance / litigation expenses pendente lite) and Section 25 (permanent alimony).
  • Broad Supreme Court observations in matrimonial maintenance matters treating roughly 25% of the payer's net income as a reasonable benchmark for interim maintenance in some cases — these are general observations, not a binding formula, and do not override a court's discretion on the facts.

The benchmark percentage anchors (25% / 15%) and the dependant/spouse-income adjustment factors used here are illustrative general observations, not a binding formula. Check your position against current case law with a qualified advocate.

Frequently asked questions

No. There is no fixed statutory formula for maintenance or alimony in India. This tool only offers a rough illustrative range based on a broad benchmark some courts have referenced, to help you start a conversation with an advocate — it is never a prediction of what any court will award.

It ignores the payer's reasonable expenses and liabilities, the spouse's and children's actual needs and standard of living during the marriage, health and educational needs, existing assets and debts, arrears, and the conduct of the parties — all of which a court weighs when deciding maintenance or alimony.

No. Interim maintenance (pendente lite) and permanent alimony are assessed differently and under different provisions. Permanent alimony often also considers a lump-sum settlement, division of assets, and the payee's long-term ability to support themselves.

Yes. Maintenance orders can be modified on a material change in circumstances, such as a change in either party's income, remarriage, or other significant life events, on application to the court.

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