“He earns in Dubai, so just convert his salary into ₹ and calculate maintenance.”
क्या matrimonial litigation इतना simple है?
A recent Delhi High Court judgment dated 16 February 2026 gives NRI husbands an important case study.
In Rakesh Ray v. Priti Ray, the matrimonial dispute involved proceedings before the CAW Cell, Delhi, proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, and a maintenance claim for the wife and minor child.
The husband was earning abroad.
And this became an important question:
Should foreign income simply be converted into Indian rupees and treated as if the husband is earning and spending in India?
The Delhi High Court discussed this issue in detail.
The Court referred to the earlier Delhi High Court decision in Bindu Chaudhary v. Deepak Suga, concerning a husband earning in Dubai, and observed that where a person earns in a foreign country, his income AND expenditure are both in that foreign currency.
Therefore, according to the Court, the cost of living in the country of employment cannot simply be ignored.
This matters enormously for an NRI husband in Delhi matrimonial proceedings.
Because there is a huge difference between:
“He earns ₹X lakh after conversion.”
and
“He earns X dirhams/dollars, pays foreign rent, transport, insurance, food, taxes and other employment-related expenses, and has the remaining disposable income.”
लेकिन यहाँ एक और important point है.
This is not a rule saying that every NRI husband will automatically get a lower maintenance order.
It means the Court has to examine the actual financial circumstances.
So if you are an NRI husband:
Don't merely tell your advocate:
“My salary is in Dubai.”
Build the evidence.
Employment contract.
Salary slips.
Bank statements.
Rent.
Insurance.
Taxes.
Utilities.
Travel.
Employment-related expenditure.
Existing liabilities.
Indian assets.
Foreign assets where relevant.
And the actual financial needs of the child.
Because matrimonial litigation is not won by saying:
“I earn abroad.”
It is also not necessarily answered by saying:
“His foreign salary is huge.”
The real question is:
What does the evidence actually show?
And this is where many NRI husbands make a serious mistake.
They remain abroad.
They send a few documents to an advocate.
They attend a hearing through VC.
They assume:
“Lawyer sab manage kar lega.”
Months later, they discover that an incomplete financial picture has already entered the record.
Then comes the difficult question:
“Why wasn't this evidence filed earlier?”
यही वजह है कि Delhi CAW Cell proceedings, Delhi matrimonial cases, maintenance proceedings, DV proceedings and NRI husband disputes should not be treated as routine paperwork.
Your foreign salary is only one part of the story.
Your foreign cost of living can also become part of the story.
And your documents should tell that story properly.
Through MenCell.Org, built over nearly two decades, I use judicial activism, RTI activism and other lawful methods to examine procedural problems and build a case strategy.
If you are an NRI husband in Delhi/NCR facing CAW Cell proceedings, matrimonial litigation, maintenance claims, DV proceedings, Court notices, mediation, counselling, conciliation or questions about your foreign income and expenses, a casual “मेरे lawyer देख लेंगे” approach can leave important facts outside the record.
Paid one-to-one consultations are available through Google Meet.
I can also visit your home, office or another convenient location across Delhi & Delhi NCR.
Appointment booking and WhatsApp consultation are available through MenCell.Org.
WhatsApp: 9873540498 — message only to book an appointment.
NRI income को सिर्फ rupees में मत देखिए.
पूरा financial picture देखिए.
Because in an NRI matrimonial case, salary conversion is only the beginning — evidence is what tells the complete story.
Case Study:
Rakesh Ray v. Priti Ray
Delhi High Court
Judgment pronounced: 16 February 2026
CRL.REV.P. 718/2024 & connected matters