What should a wife do whose husband has been absent from her for more than three years, and then returned?

A wife has the right to demand maintenance for the past period during which her husband was absent and did not leave her any provision. If he does not respond, she can refer her case to the judiciary. A husband should not be absent from his wife for a long period that harms her. Scholars have stated that it is not permissible for a man to be absent from his wife for more than six months without an excuse. The husband's absence does not nullify the marital rulings or the rights of each spouse over the other.