Sujata Kumari & Ors. vs Rahul Kumar & Anr.

In this case, the Supreme Court of India dealt with a dispute over interim maintenance—the temporary money paid for a child's needs while a main legal case is still going on. The mother and father are both highly qualified doctors. The Family Court had ordered the father, a pediatrician earning Rs. 2,00,000 per month, to pay Rs. 30,000 per month for each of his two young daughters. However, the High Court halved this amount to Rs. 15,000 per daughter, arguing that since the mother is also a gynaecologist earning Rs. 1,50,000 per month, she must share the financial burden equally. The Supreme Court rejected this mathematical division of parental duties. It restored the Family Court's original order, directing the father to pay Rs. 30,000 per child monthly. The Court highlighted that child support cannot be calculated by pure arithmetic. Even if a mother earns well, she is the one who lives with the children and provides daily care, love, and effort. This physical care is a major contribution that cannot be measured in money. Therefore, a father with a good income cannot escape his financial duty to his children just because his wife also works.

A doctor couple separated, and their two minor daughters lived with the mother. The mother filed for maintenance, and the Family Court ordered the father to pay Rs. 30,000 monthly for each daughter. The High Court cut this in half simply because the mother was also a practicing doctor.

The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order and restored the monthly maintenance of Rs. 30,000 per daughter. It ordered the father to clear all pending arrears within three months.

This judgment establishes that a father cannot reduce his child-support duties just because the mother is financially independent. It values the unpaid, emotional, and physical labor of the parent who raises the child daily as a massive contribution.