New Delhi, May 18 -- The Delhi high court has held that a husband is legally bound to provide maintenance to his wife, even if she receives financial support from her family members in times of distress. The order was passed by a bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Tuesday, while hearing a plea filed by a woman against a city court's direction to reduce her interim maintenance from Rs.20,000 to Rs.12,000 per month on the grounds that she was in a position to sustain herself since she was receiving financial assistance from her father and brother. The woman challenged the order, arguing that the financial assistance extended by her family members could not be equated with her own income or earning capacity, and such voluntary support did not absolve her husband of his legal obligation to maintain her. The man said that the financial support was a relevant factor to be considered while assessing his wife's income and immediate means of sustenance. "Temporary or voluntary assistance by family members cannot substitute the legal obligation of the husband to maintain his wife, especially when she has no independent source of income," justice Sharma said on May 14....