granting the decree absolute until a declaration made by both parties that they have taken such steps as are required to dissolve the marriage in accordance with rabbinical law. In case law, there have been a number of cases regarding the provision of a get: in the case of O v O, the wife petitioned for a civil divorce and was granted a decree nisi. As she had not been granted a get, she did not apply for a decree absolute. The husband attempted to apply for it under s9(2) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, but was denied until the get had been granted. South Africa Section 5A of the Divorce Act, 1979 provides that the court may refuse a divorce decree if one spouse does not take steps necessary to dissolve the marriage (or to allow the other spouse to remarry) in accordance with religious custom. The court may also make any other order which it finds to be just. This provision was added in 1996 as a result of the South African Law Reform Commission's report on Jewish divorce. Clauses at marriage The Lieberman clause, developed by Rabbi Saul Lieberman, does not deal with secular law, but instead inserts, at the time of marriage, a halakhic stipulation that the marriage is only valid on the condition that the man gives a get within 6 months of any secular court's divorce. Were the man to refuse to give a get, the marriage would be declared null retroactively—it would be as if the couple were never married from a Jewish legal perspective. See also Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act 2002 Footnotes References Broyde, Michael J., "The New York Get Law: An Exchange", Colman, Gene C. & Posen Joseph M. "Jewish Marriage and Ontario Law", Freedman, E, "'Religious Divorce in Israel", (April 2000), International Family Law, 20. Freeman, Michael, "The Jewish Law of Divorce", (May 2000), International Family Law, 58. Feldman, M, "Jewish Women and Secular Courts: Helping a Jewish Woman to Obtain a Get" (1989–90) 5 Berkeley Women’s Law Journal, 139. Jacobus, Helen, "Getting together", (August 11, 2000), Jewish Chronicle. Katzenberg, S, & Rosenblatt, J, "Getting the Get", (March 1999), Family Law, 165. Stern, Marc D. "A Legal Guide to the Prenuptial Agreement for Couples about to Be Married", Agunot Conflict of laws Family law Agunah