Legal Analysis of a Husband's Failure to Provide Financial Support (Nafkah) to a Career Wife: Comparative Insights from Islamic Family Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61987/ilij.v1i1.153Keywords:
Marital Maintenance, Career Wives, Islamic Family Law, Indonesian Civil LawAbstract
Changing household economic structures increasingly challenge conventional assumptions about marital financial responsibilities and the position of career wives. This study examines the legal position of husbands who fail to provide nafkah to career wives by analyzing Islamic law and Indonesian civil law. Using a qualitative normative legal approach, the study analyzes Qur'anic principles, Islamic jurisprudence, statutory provisions, the Kompilasi Hukum Islam, judicial developments, and relevant scholarly literature through doctrinal analysis. The findings identify three key dimensions: the husband's primary maintenance responsibility remains despite the wife's employment; career wives retain legal protection when financial neglect occurs; and dual-income families create tensions between traditional maintenance rules and contemporary financial arrangements. The study offers a contextual framework that distinguishes economic contribution from legally recognized marital responsibility. It recommends clearer legal interpretation, evidence-sensitive judicial assessment, and family counseling that accommodates diverse household arrangements while preserving established maintenance rights and obligations.
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