7. What expenses can maintenance pending suit cover?
Maintenance pending suit (“MPS”) may cover ordinary recurring living expenses, such as:
- accommodation costs;
- food costs;
- utilities;
- transport;
- medical expenses;
- insurance;
- domestic helper, where appropriate;
- personal expenses; and
- other reasonable day-to-day needs.
The budget must be realistic and reasonable, and must exclude capital or long-term expenditure. For example, the court cannot order Party A to pay a large sum to Party B for the purpose of purchasing a flat for Party B’s accommodation, but the court can order Party A to pay for the rent of Party B’s accommodation.
The court may reduce items it considers excessive. For example, while a family might have traveled business class, the court may assess reasonable holiday needs based on economy class travel to manage costs during the interim period.
Additionally, MPS can also cover litigation funding for the divorce proceedings in some circumstances. For more information, please refer to “Can maintenance pending suit include litigation funding?”
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