Does Private Schooling Impact The Child Maintenance Amount?

Education is an essential element of a child’s overall development, impacting their future opportunities and well-being. Courts in India acknowledge that a child’s right to education includes access to appropriate schooling that sustains or improves their standard of living. Private schooling generally involves higher fees, extracurricular costs, and other associated expenses compared to government schools. When parents seek child maintenance, the cost of private schooling becomes a significant consideration in determining the maintenance amount. However, courts strive to balance the child’s best interests with the paying parent’s ability to afford such expenses. They examine factors such as the income and financial commitments of the paying parent, the child's accustomed lifestyle, the quality of education, and the necessity of private education in the child's context. The court’s ultimate aim is to ensure that maintenance awards are reasonable, fair, and primarily geared towards the child’s welfare without imposing undue hardship on the payer.

Legal Framework and Court Approach

Best Interest of the Child:

Courts give paramount importance to the welfare of the child, including educational needs, when deciding on maintenance.

Inclusion of Educational Expenses:

Maintenance can cover tuition fees, admission fees, uniforms, books, transportation, and extracurricular activities associated with private schooling.

Assessment of Financial Capacity:

The paying parent’s total income, assets, liabilities, and other dependents are considered to ensure maintenance is fair and sustainable.

Maintaining the Child’s Standard of Living:

Courts aim to maintain continuity in the child’s schooling and lifestyle, especially if private schooling was already in place before separation or divorce.

Judicial Discretion and Flexibility:

Judges evaluate each case based on facts, with discretion to adjust maintenance if the payer cannot afford high private school fees or if alternatives are available.

Legal Precedents:

Indian courts have held in various rulings that denying children access to quality education by limiting maintenance is against the child’s rights.

Practical Advice

Parents should submit comprehensive documents such as fee receipts, school admission letters, and expense records to justify higher maintenance requests.

If the paying parent contests private schooling costs, mediation or negotiations may help arrive at a mutually agreeable amount.

Consideration can be given to phased increases in maintenance as financial conditions improve.

Example:

A father and mother are divorced, with the mother having custody of their 12-year-old child enrolled in a reputed private school. The mother requests child maintenance that covers school fees, transport, books, and extracurricular activities. The father, with a moderate income, challenges the amount, suggesting a government school as an alternative to reduce costs. The court reviews the child's previous schooling history, noting that the child has consistently attended private school, and that shifting to a government school could negatively impact the child’s education continuity and well-being. After assessing the father’s financial statements, the court orders maintenance that accommodates private schooling costs but slightly reduces certain optional extracurricular expenses to balance the father’s financial constraints. This ensures the child’s education is secured while keeping the maintenance reasonable and sustainable for the father.