How can a wife, child or parent claim maintenance under section 144 BNSS?

Description

Your husband, father or adult son has the means to support you but refuses to do so. The law provides a quick and inexpensive remedy for maintenance, now found in section 144 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced section 125 of the old Criminal Procedure Code. This answer explains who can claim, where to file, how interim maintenance works, what the Supreme Court requires both sides to disclose, and how to enforce an order if payments stop.

What the answer covers

• Who can claim maintenance and from whom
• Interim maintenance and its decision timeline
• Where to file the application
• The disclosure affidavit both parties must file
• How unpaid maintenance is recovered, and the deadline for doing so
• Other laws under which maintenance can be claimed

General legal information, not legal advice. Instant PDF after payment.