Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Agunah is a term used in Jewish law to describe a woman who is unable to remarry because her husband has either disappeared or refuses to grant her a divorce. This can be a very difficult situation for the woman, as she is unable to move on with her life and start a new family. In order for her to remarry, she must either prove that her husband is dead or obtain a divorce from him.
Definition: Agunah (ah-goo-nah) is a term used in Jewish law to describe a woman who is unable to remarry because her husband has deserted her, disappeared, or will not agree to a divorce.
Example 1: A woman's husband went missing during a war, and she has no way of knowing if he is alive or dead. She cannot remarry until she can prove that he is dead or obtain a divorce.
Example 2: A woman's husband refuses to grant her a divorce, even though they have been separated for years. She is stuck in a marriage that she no longer wants to be in.
These examples illustrate how an agunah is a woman who is trapped in a marriage and unable to move on with her life. In Jewish law, a woman cannot remarry without a get (a religious divorce document) from her husband. If her husband is missing or refuses to grant her a divorce, she is considered an agunah and cannot remarry. This can be a very difficult and painful situation for a woman to be in.