Husband claims maintenance from former wife

I was retrenched two years ago and since then have been depending on my rich wife for accommodation, food, clothing and other basic needs. My wife has filed a divorce petition in Court against me. Can I claim maintenance that she be ordered to pay me maintenance costs in case the Court grants the divorce?
GR, Mtwara

The law treats spouses differently. While men have the obligation under section 63 of the Law of Marriage Act to maintain their wives irrespective of the economic conditions of the wife, women have the obligation under the same section to maintain their husbands only if the husband is incapacitated wholly or partially from earning a livelihood by reason of mental or physical injury or ill-health.

In case of divorce, the Court can give an order under section 115(2) of the Act to a wife to maintain her divorced husband only if the husband is incapacitated wholly or partially from earning a livelihood by reason of mental or physical injury or ill-health. However, under the same section, men have the obligation to maintain their divorced wives who are jobless. For men being jobless on account of redundancy or otherwise is not a reason for the Court to order the wife to pay maintenance to the husband. In short, it is very unlikely that you will be able to claim any maintenance from your ‘rich’ wife.