You're Not Free Yet

I was reading a recent article concerning Jewish divorce and a "get". I had never heard of such a document before reading about it in the newspaper and was intrigued as to the newsworthiness and media attention surrounding one man's refusal to cooperate and give his Ex-Wife a "get". Under Jewish doctrine, a person cannot be fully free from a marriage after a divorce unless and until they receive a "get". Even though a civil divorce allows a party to remarry in the civil sense, without a "get" a Jewish woman is not allowed to remarry or even date. The Jewish faith is not the only religion that requires someone to jump through a few hoops before they are allowed to remarry. In the Catholic religion, a party must have their previous marriage annulled in the eyes of the Catholic church before their marriage is recognized by the church. I'm not sure whether there are other religions that require you to obtain certain "religious" things before you are allowed to remarry, but in the event you have been divorced and would like to remarry, I suggest you speak with your local church, synagogue, or temple to determine whether you are free to remarry from a religious standpoint. There are currently no penalties that are imposed civilly for failure to sign a get, but the Women's International Zionist Organization is seeking to impose legislation that would impact the distribution of assets in the event a spouse imposes a barrier on remarriage, however I doubt such legislation will ever leave the legislature's floor.

If you would like to read the story for which this blog is based, see: http://www.bauerfamilylaw.com/divorce.html