There are no contradictions
What is meant is that
1) Your divorce petition is rejected for the time being, it also means that either you or your wife can apply for divorce again later after a stipulated period of time.
The maintenance order means that,
a) your wife is entitled for maintenance as long as the current status co is maintained.
b) your wife is entitled for maintenance even if at a later data either you or you wife applies for divorce and win the divorce order, and your wife is continuing to remaining unmarried.
c) your daughter is entitled for maintenance irrespective of the status co between you and your wife until she attains the age of 18.
2) the order states that you have to pay the maintenance from the date of petition and not from the date of judgment. I.e.… you are expected to pay the awarded maintenance amount from the date of judgment and also the awarded maintenance amount from date of petition to the date of judgment as a lump sum.
There might be a few lawyers who are too lethargic but the bottom line is that the lawyer is not the affected party, he/she deals with the case in accordance with certain basic formats which might not represent your situation clearly, your lawyer is only as good as the proofs and feedback that you provide them.
I am not actually a lawyer but I can suggest you few things you can work and discuss with your lawyer,
It is better to Invest in a good detective once instead of paying your wife each month.
Part A proofs from your part
Provide your own income proof after tax reductions that shows you are earning much less than that projected by your wife in the court.(normally wife usuall exaggerate the husband's income to earn bigger maintenance amount)
Show that you are maintaining your elderly parents and project it to reduce this expenditure from your income.
Show your own expenditure that is meant for your basic survival
Part B Proofs from your wife's part
Collect proofs regarding the rent for a normal house in the area your wife is now residing.
Collect proofs regarding normal expenditure incurred by a single person residing in the area regarding bills for groceries, vegetables, ect for 1 person.
Collect bills for expenditure for 1 person regarding electricity, few dresses (nominal and not designer/branded)
You can sum total all these and show to the court that she deserves only this much wherein the rest is for extravagant living which she is not eligible.
You can collect proofs regarding your wife’s personal property, income from property in form of rent/lease, any job/business income your wife is engaged in , and ask this amount to be reduced from her eligible maintenance amount.
If your wife is at least learned collect proofs regarding to salaries paid to similarly qualified ladies around her residential area (this can also help a lot)
Work your proofs towards the point “Maintenance is for surviving and not for supporting lavish and extravagant lifestyle”
Armed with these proofs you can try to file revision petition to reduce the amount awarded for maintenance.
If she wants an equal share in your income for continuing the life style enjoyed by her while she was with you, she can only do so via permanent alimony after giving you a divorce and not via maintenance.