Jewish Divorce (Get) – Rabbinical Council of New England

A Jewish Divorce ends the religious marriage between a couple and is obtained even though for most couples major technical aspects of ending the marriage (such as custody or finances) are conducted in secular court. The Boston Rabbinical Court presides over dozens of divorce cases from all six states of New England each year.
Jewish Divorce proceedings begin with a short hearing, followed by the hand-calligraphy of the writ of divorce by a specially trained scribe. After the document has been written with the particular couple in mind, it is handed from the now ex-husband to now ex-wife, thus completing the proceedings and ending the marriage. Generally, the process takes about 2hours.
The ritual document is archived at the court, and a certificate of divorce is issued to the parties, usually at a later date.

BASIC PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING A JEWISH DIVORCE
AT THE RABBINICAL COURT OF BOSTON

1. Complete and return application form to office, or at bostonbethdin@rcone.org
Together with application, include the following documents:
Copy of an official picture ID for both parties
Copy of civil divorce for this marriage (if one has already been issued)
Copy of prior Jewish Divorce Document for either party if applicable
Copy of Conversion Document if applicable

2. Set appointment for writing the Jewish Divorce. (Couples appear for court proceeding at specified time: ideally both parties come together, although they may also come separately). At the appointment, the Divorce Document is written by the scribe and presented to the wife. (Individuals attending should wear proper business attire)

3. The Certificate of Divorce is issued.

Documents needed for the Procedure:
Copy of the Civil Divorce
Copy of the Ketubah
Copy of the Conversion Certificate if applicable
Driver’s License or a government issued ID.
Hebrew Names of man and woman and the Hebrew names of parents of couple.
Payment of $550.00 for services rendered at the time of the procedure

FAQ’s:

Scheduling a Get appointment:
The Beit Din meets, by appointment, Thursday mornings. Other times may be available only be special appointment. The husband must come to the Beth Din to initiate the Get process, and the wife is also present to complete the process. The entire Get procedure takes approximately 2 hours but depends upon the documents and necessary information being provided in a timely fashion and the amount of work in the Court proceedings.. To schedule an appointment fill out the online form below or email bostonbethdin@rcone.org

Consent of both parties:
A Get is written when it is clear that the parties are both willing participants in the procedure. It is the expectation of our tradition that parties that were once bound by sacred vows will respect each other sufficiently to participate fully in the Get process. This cooperation allows both parties to proceed with their new lives, in a spirit of propriety and dignity.

Civil divorce:
The Get is usually written after the couple has filed for civil divorce. This ensures that the Beth Din will do nothing that interferes with applicable state law governing dissolution of marriages. However, if a divorce proceeding is imminent, a Get may be written earlier under special circumstances as determined by the Beth Din. Experience has shown that civil judges will respect agreements concerning the writing of a Get. It is therefore desirable to include language about a Get agreement in divorce settlement documents.

Fees:
A $550 fee is assessed to cover the costs of writing and administering the get process. In some cases, a divorce settlement agreement will specify which party is liable to pay for the Get. Where this is not the case, the parties are expected to discuss this point and inform the Rabbinical Council who will be liable for payment. In many cases, the parties amicably agree to divide the cost of the Get. It is appreciated when fees for the Get procedure are received in advance of the date reserved for its writing.
The basic cost of a Get allows the Rabbinical Council to retain the services of a scribe and rabbinic aides who serve as witnesses the rabbinic court. A portion of the fee is dedicated to administrative expenses that running of a Beit Din demands.

For more information please contact the Beit Din (contact information and contact form below)