Can a husband refuse maintenance to his wife's child?
By Aastha Vishwakarma, Advocate · · 2 min read
On 26 September 2026, the Uttarakhand High Court ruled that a man who knowingly marries a woman with a child cannot later refuse to maintain that child.
- A husband who accepts his wife's child from an earlier marriage into the home cannot later deny maintenance on the ground that he is not the biological father.
- The Family Court, Haridwar had refused maintenance to the son for that reason; the High Court reversed it.
- The High Court also raised the amounts already awarded to the wife and daughter.
- New maintenance applications are now filed under section 144 BNSS, which replaced section 125 CrPC on 1 July 2024.
What did the High Court decide?
A wife had sought maintenance for herself, her daughter from the marriage, and her son from an earlier marriage. The Family Court at Haridwar granted maintenance to the wife and daughter but refused it for the son, since the husband was not his biological father.
The Uttarakhand High Court set this aside. It held that once a man marries a woman with full knowledge of her child and accepts the child into the matrimonial home, he cannot later disown responsibility for that child merely because there is no blood relationship.
The court also enhanced the maintenance already awarded to the wife and daughter, and directed monthly maintenance for the son until he turns 18.
Who can claim maintenance, and under which law?
This case was decided under section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, since it was filed in 2022. Applications filed today go under section 144 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which took over from section 125 CrPC on 1 July 2024 with much the same scope.
A wife (including a divorced wife who has not remarried), a minor child, an adult child unable to support itself because of a disability, and aged or infirm parents can all claim a monthly allowance from a person who has enough means but neglects or refuses to support them.
The application is filed before a magistrate where the applicant lives, and the court can also order interim maintenance while the case is pending.
What you can do
- If a stepchild has been living with you as part of the family, know that this by itself does not end when the marriage runs into trouble.
- Keep proof of income and expenses ready; the court decides amounts based on the paying spouse's means and the applicant's needs.
- An order for interim maintenance can be asked for at the first hearing itself, so the family is not left without support while the case runs.
- Track hearing dates and orders on the eCourts portal using the case number.
क्या पति पत्नी के बच्चे को भरण-पोषण देने से मना कर सकता है?
- यदि पति ने पत्नी के पहले विवाह से हुए बच्चे को जानते-बूझते अपने घर में स्वीकार किया है, तो बाद में केवल जैविक पिता न होने के आधार पर वह भरण-पोषण देने से इनकार नहीं कर सकता।
- हरिद्वार के परिवार न्यायालय ने बेटे को भरण-पोषण देने से मना कर दिया था; उच्च न्यायालय ने यह आदेश पलट दिया।
- न्यायालय ने पत्नी और बेटी को पहले से मिल रही राशि भी बढ़ा दी।
- अब नए मामलों में आवेदन धारा 144 बीएनएसएस के तहत दाखिल होते हैं, जिसने 1 जुलाई 2024 से धारा 125 सीआरपीसी की जगह ली है।
उत्तराखंड उच्च न्यायालय ने 26 सितंबर 2026 को कहा कि जो व्यक्ति पूरी जानकारी के साथ किसी बच्चे वाली महिला से विवाह करता है और उस बच्चे को अपने परिवार में शामिल करता है, वह बाद में केवल खून के रिश्ते के अभाव के आधार पर उसकी ज़िम्मेदारी से मुँह नहीं मोड़ सकता।
Sources
- Husband Cannot Refuse To Maintain Wife's Child From Previous Marriage After Knowingly Accepting Him: Uttarakhand High Court — LiveLaw (opens in a new tab)
- Man Who Accepted Wife's Son Into Matrimonial Home Cannot Later Disown Maintenance Responsibility: Uttarakhand High Court — Verdictum (opens in a new tab)
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (India Code) (opens in a new tab)
- eCourts services: case status (opens in a new tab)