(1.) In matrimonial cases, the Court has to ascertain the financial capacity/status of both the parties for fixing maintenance. In many developed countries, the law prescribes a comprehensive format of assets, income and expenditure to be filed by both the parties at the very threshold of matrimonial litigation. However, there is no provision of law in our country for directing the parties to disclose their assets, income and expenditure in a particular format.
(2.) Vide judgment dtd. 14/1/2015, this Court, after considering the International Best Practices, issued directions and formulated an affidavit of assets, income and expenditure to be filed by both parties at the very threshold of matrimonial litigation. This Court modified the aforesaid directions and format of assets, income and expenditure vide judgments dtd. 29/5/2017 and 6/12/2017.
(3.) In the earlier judgments dtd. 14/1/2015; 29/5/2017 and 6/12/2017, this Court considered ten affidavits of assets, income and expenditure used in five countries. Fifty more formats of affidavits of assets, income and expenditure of various countries namely U.S.A., U.K., Ireland, Singapore, Canada, Australia and South Africa have now come to the notice of this Court thereby warranting modification of the judgment dtd. 6/12/2017.