| NAME | BETH DIN OF AMERICA |
| Location
of Beit Din |
305 Seventh Avenue |
| Contact
Information |
PHONE: 212-807-9042 |
| Rosh
(Av) Beit Din |
Rabbi Gedalia Schwartz |
| Dayyanim
|
Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rosh, Mordechai Willig, Ass't. Av Beit Din, Yonah Reiss, Menahel, Michael Broyde, Chaver Beit Din, Shlomo Wahrman, Herschel Schachter, Moshe Dovid Tendler, Aaron Levine, Yosef Blau, Steven Pruzansky, Ronald Warburg, Daniel Rapp, Joseph Karasick, Julius Berman, Kenneth Auman, Michael Hecht, Yossi Prager, Adam Berner, Richard Stone, David Pelcovitz, Yaakov Lichter (Dayyanim rotate; not all give equal time)
|
| Associated
Organizations |
NATIONAL RABBINIC ORGANIZATION: Rabbinical Council of America |
| Cases Per
Year |
300 per year 75-80% uncontested 15-20% contested 3% unresolved |
| Confidentiality
|
Guaranteed |
| Languages
|
English All documents translated |
| Shtar
Berurin |
Not required in uncontested gittin Required in litigated cases |
| Hazmanot
|
Hazmanot are issued automatically, need not request. 3 are sent over a 30-day period |
| Seruvim |
Will issue seruvim, when deemed appropriate by Av Beit Din |
| Timing
of Writing/Delivery of Get |
Encourage writing of Get and delivery to wife as soon as it is clear no reconciliation is possible; pturim released when civil divorce is final |
| Approach
to bringing a Woman for Support |
Women are advised to bring someone, or the beit din will provide female support |
| Toanim |
Not Allowed |
| Civil Attorneys
|
May attend Can speak to rabbis |
| Attitude
Toward Jewish Pre-nuptial Agreements |
Recognized and strongly encouraged |
| Attitude
Toward Civil Litigation of Financial Matters |
Prefers beit din resolve all issues, including finances |
| Ketubbah
Money |
Beit din considers a variety of factors to determine monetary settlement. Will evaluate worth of ketubbah if party(ies) request |
| Attitude
Toward Civil Litigation of Custody |
Employs “best interests of child” standard. Sometimes, if parties elect, will decide custody, and consults with expert |
| Recognition
of Beit Din by Israeli Rabbanut |
Yes Works with batei din in other countries |
| Records of Deliberations and Decisions | Deliberations taped, decisions written |
| Location of Records | Beit din office or storage, director has access |
| Computerization of Records | Yes, in process; records computerized going back 5 years, may not go back farther |
| Fees | Get proceeding itself $500 paid to beit din. If shlichut, (delivered by messenger) -$650. Litigation $150-$225 per hour depending on number of dayyanim (dayyanim receive payment from the beit din based on time worked) Adjustments based on need |
| Qualifications of Dayyanim | Based on expertise. Most but not all have Smicha. All are college educated. Some rabbis are lawyers, other dayyanim are learned lawyers but do not have smicha |
| Rules Governing Relationship of Dayyanim to Litigants | Discloses any association dayyan may have with a party; if either party is uncomfortable dayyan recuses himself |