Introduction

The Supreme Court's decision in Rajnesh v. Neha (2021) is a landmark judgment that brought much-needed clarity to maintenance laws in India. The Court issued comprehensive guidelines on determining maintenance, mandatory disclosure of assets and liabilities, and preventing conflicting maintenance orders under different legal provisions. It emphasized that maintenance is a measure of social justice intended to protect the financial security of wives and children while ensuring fairness to both parties. This case commentary examines the facts, legal issues, judicial reasoning, and the broader significance of the judgment for family law practitioners, students, researchers, and individuals seeking to understand maintenance jurisprudence in India.