The Enforcement Gap in Post-Divorce Maintenance: Legal Protection under Indonesian Islamic Family Law

Abstract

The enforcement of post-divorce maintenance should be assessed not only through rights awarded in a court judgment but also through actual compliance. This case study examines the maintenance obligations reported in Decision No. 64/Pdt.G/2025/PA.Pspk and their relationship with Indonesia’s Compilation of Islamic Law. Using a normative–empirical legal approach, the analysis draws on legal provisions, the judgment summary, and interview accounts contained in the original research manuscript. The source manuscript reports an award of IDR 20 million in arrears, a five-gram gold ring, and IDR 1 million in monthly child support, while the reported accounts indicate noncompliance. The analysis distinguishes court-ordered obligations from broader statutory entitlements, and discusses the relevance of communication breakdown, the assumption that the mother’s income supplants the father’s duty, and limited perceived consequences of nonpayment. It argues that meaningful legal protection requires practical enforcement and accessible remedies. The findings remain subject to verification of the certified judgment and complete fieldwork records.