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Marriage and Divorce

Home / My husband turned to drink after his business started running into financial difficulty. He is now an alcoholic, though he won’t admit it and will not go for treatment. He has ceased to function in many respects . He cannot support me and the children financially. We no longer have any sex life as he cannot function sexually under the influence of alcohol. Can I divorce him because of his addiction to alcohol ? We are both Jewish.

My husband turned to drink after his business started running into financial difficulty. He is now an alcoholic, though he won’t admit it and will not go for treatment. He has ceased to function in many respects . He cannot support me and the children financially. We no longer have any sex life as he cannot function sexually under the influence of alcohol. Can I divorce him because of his addiction to alcohol ? We are both Jewish.

By: דיאנה שאלתיאלPublished on: 13 June, 2022
Under Jewish law a man who cannot satisfy his wife sexually or support her financially is not fulfilling his duties as a husband according to their Ketuba (marriage contract). A Jewish woman whose Jewish husband is addicted to alcohol and ,as a result of his addiction, fails to perform these two duties has grounds for divorce.

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