Features

Paying wife maintenance

THERE ARE MANY husbands who believe that it is not their responsibility to maintain their wives.

A man living in St. Ann refused to maintain his wife for several years and so she took him to court last year. The wife said she was forced to take him to court because her husband gambled a lot and refused to give her any money to run the house.

"My husband is extremely irresponsible and takes his money to gamble and buy liquor. He comes home drunk most nights and expects me to provide meals for him.

"I really got fed up last year and took him to court for maintenance. I would advise all wives who are having similar problems not to hesitate to take their husbands to court for maintenance.

"We have a 12-year-old son and I have to be working double shift to pay the mortgage on the house, buy food and send our son to school. My husband is a welder and when I ask him why he does not give me house money, he said I do not need it. I don't see why I should be working so hard to support my husband when he should be the one taking care of us.

"I got fed up with him last year and took him to court for maintenance. The judge, after hearing the case, made an order for him to pay a certain sum of money monthly. He complains each time he has to pay the money but it is because of his irresponsible behaviour that I was forced to take him to court."

The Maintenance Act which came into being from as far back as March 31, 1881 makes it compulsory for a man to maintain his wife and children. Section 12 of the Act states in part that 'every man shall be liable and is hereby required to maintain his wife, irrespective of her being able to maintain herself.'