Mahr Decision Framework

Tamer
August 18, 2023

When deciding on a mahr, you need to think about 3 things:

Mahr Amount

There's no minimum or maximum amount.

Whatever is agreed upon between you and your spouse is permissible.

However, a good rule of thumb is to request a monetary value of at least 3 months living expenses (in case of divorce)

Once the mahr amount is chosen, decide how you'll receive it.

One asset class or multiple asset classes.

You've got a couple of options:

For example, you could request a $5k mahr divided up between a ring ($2k) and a Roth IRA ($3k)

After you've decided the mahr amount and type, you'll need to think about when the mahr should be given.

Mahr can either be immediate, deferred, or a combination.

This should be explicitly stated on the nikah contract.

Deferred mahr can be granted upon

Let's break down a couple of mahr examples. The mahr amount will be $5k.

Immediate - $2k ring

Deferred (upon demand) - $1k each year for 3 years

Immediate - $5k cash

Deferred (upon divorce) - $5k cash

If you want learn more about this framework and mahr tips, check out the “Negotiating Mahr” lecture by Sh. Joe Bradford.

or to participate.