CWJ cases set two new legal precedents that boosted its trailblazing strategy of petitioning for compensatory damages from husbands who refuse to grant a get.   For the first time, family court judges ordered awards to women who already have their get.

Calling these decisions “groundbreaking,” Susan Weiss, CWJ founder and executive director stated, “The favorable rulings in these cases help to confirm that these damage suits are not linked to the giving of the get. The decisions deflate rabbinic court claims that civil torts force the hand of the husband, rendering the get invalid.”These extremely important precedents help to establish the jurisdiction of the civil courts in the issue of get refusal.

CWJ clients, J and L were awarded NIS 984,000 (approx. $273,000) and NIS 200,000 (approx. $55,000) respectively in damages.  Although J had received her get in 2010 and L had received hers in 2009, both women’s damage cases continued in civil courts, where they were resolved favorably.  

Photo: Noam Revkin Fenton, Shatil