New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- The Delhi High Court has clarified that permanent alimony is not an automatic right after divorce - especially if the spouse seeking it is financially self-sufficient. The ruling underscores that the purpose of alimony is to prevent destitution, not to equalise incomes or serve as a financial windfall.

The court observed while dismissing a plea by a senior government officer who had sought permanent alimony and compensation from her former husband, an advocate. The couple married in 2010 but separated within a year, and their marriage was dissolved on the grounds of cruelty by a family court in August 2023.

In its order dated October 17, the bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar noted th...