Wife must pay husband for refusing divorce

An Israeli woman must pay her husband nearly $57,000 in damages for refusing to accept a Jewish writ of divorce, or get.

A Family Court judge in northern Israel on Sunday ordered the woman to pay more than $7,000 a year for each year that she has refused to divorce her husband, despite being ordered by a rabbinical court to comply.

The couple separated in 2003 after 25 years of marriage, according to reports. The husband originally had filed for divorce in 1986, citing his wife’s infertility as the main reason, but was refused by the rabbinic court. His wife claims he is interested in another woman.

The judge ruled that the wife will still owe her husband the compensation even if she now agrees to a divorce. The husband can sue for more damages if she continues to hold out.