Mahr Decision Framework

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

  • Mahr Amount

  • Mahr Type

  • Mahr Conditions

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)

Mahr Type

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:

  • Cash

  • Rings

  • Gold/Silver

  • Investments (IRA, Stocks, Crypto)

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

Mahr Conditions

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

  • demand

  • death

  • divorce

Mahr Examples

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

Mahr Example #1

Immediate - $2k ring

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

Mahr Example #2

Immediate - $5k cash

Mahr Example #3

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.

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