What is a get?
The Torah (Deut. 24:1) states that in order to effect a Jewish divorce, the husband must write a bill of divorce and hand it to his wife. Nowadays, this is accomplished by the husband appointing a trained scribe as his agent to write the get on his behalf. The get is written in Aramaic and is essentially a letter from the husband to the wife stating that through this bill of divorce, she shall be free and permissible to marry anyone else. The get does not mention any financial obligations.
Making the Process Comfortable
While divorce can be difficult, our Beth Din tries to ensure that the all parties feel comfortable during the get proceedings. We provide separate waiting areas for the husband and wife if they choose to wait separately for the get to be written. We also welcome and encourage each party to bring a friend or family member for emotional support.
The Process
There are three major components to the divorce proceeding:
- The husband expresses his willingness to give the get to his wife. He then appoints the scribe to write the get, the witnesses to sign the get, and if necessary, an agent to deliver the get to his wife.
- The get is written and signed by the appointed scribe and witnesses.
- The wife expresses her willingness to receive the get. The get is then delivered by the husband or his agent to the wife.
How to Begin the Process
You can begin the process by filling out our get registration form. If both you and your spouse are ready to participate, the Beth Din office will then contact you to schedule the get. If your spouse does not want to participate, we will contact you to discuss how to proceed with the get process.
Before the Get
Before the get proceedings, Rabbi Flug will conduct a short phone interview with each spouse regarding which names and aliases are going to be used for the get. He will also use this as an opportunity to answer any questions you may have regarding the proceedings.
What You Need for the Get
- Before the proceedings, Rabbi Flug will ask you to email him a copy of:
- The ketubah (if available)
- The civil marriage license
- The divorce judgment (if the divorce is complete)
- The certificate of Jewish divorce from any previous marriages
- What to bring to the proceedings:
- The ketubah (if available)
- A current government-issued ID
Cost of Get
If both parties are present together at the proceedings, the cost is $650. If both parties are not present together, or a get needs to be scheduled outside of regular get times, there are additional fees. The husband and the wife should arrange together who is going to pay for the get. We recommend that the husband and wife split the cost. If the couple cannot afford to pay the full price due to financial hardship, please notify us, and we can make alternative arrangements.