Why does a married believer have to go before a non-believer to obtain a divorce?
Why does a married believer have to go before a non-believer to obtain a divorce? Tim Cella Former Paralegal at Ascent Law (2018–2021) This is something you can ask during a meeting with a divorce attorney . This is a good question. It really depends on what religious tradition you are referring to — at least, when you use the terms “believer” and “non-believer” I takes those to be from a religious context. With that being said there can be several reasons why a married believer may have to go before a non-believer to obtain a divorce, when looking at the three major Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam): In Judaism, religious Jewish courts (batei din) have authority over divorces for Jews. However, to be recognized by civil authorities, the divorce (get) often has to be finalized through the civil court system as well. In Christianity, especially Catholicism, getting a religious annulment of the marriage through church authorities does not equal a legal civil divorce.