How Long Is the ʿIdda After Divorce in Jordan and When Does It End?

A divorced woman's ʿidda under Jordanian law is a waiting period she observes after the marital tie ends. Article 145 defines it and states that it begins from the moment the divorce or annulment occurs, and that it is not due on a woman divorced before consummation following a valid contract.

Article 147 fixes the length for a non-pregnant woman: three full menstrual cycles for those who menstruate, and three months for one who never menstruated or has reached menopause; if menstruation returns before the months elapse, the count restarts by cycles. A pregnant woman's ʿidda ends with childbirth under Article 148, even shortly after the divorce.

The purpose of the ʿidda is to confirm the absence of pregnancy, protect lineage, and allow the possibility of return in revocable divorce. A woman in the ʿidda of revocable talaq is entitled to housing and maintenance throughout, and lineage rules continue to apply. The ʿidda ends automatically when its term expires, without need for a ruling, at which point a revocably divorced wife becomes irrevocably divorced if the husband has not taken her back.

The law distinguishes a woman who has been with her husband from one who has not: there is no ʿidda before consummation and valid seclusion, because its purpose is then absent.

This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.