When Is a Wife Entitled to the Deferred Dowry After Divorce in Jordan?

A deferred dowry (mahr muʾajjal) under Jordanian law is the portion of the named dowry that the spouses agree to postpone to a later term. Article 41 permits accelerating or deferring all or part of the dowry and requires the deferral to be evidenced; if no deferral is stated, the dowry is treated as immediately due.

Article 42 provides that where a term is set for the deferred dowry, the wife cannot claim it before the term falls due, except that it becomes due upon divorce or the death of either spouse. On this basis the deferred dowry becomes immediately payable to the wife on divorce even if the agreed term has not yet arrived.

The deferred dowry is unaffected by whether the divorce is revocable or irrevocable, and it is independent of ʿidda maintenance, which is a separate right. Article 43 confirms that the full named dowry settles upon a valid seclusion.

If the husband refuses to pay, the wife may claim the deferred dowry before the Sharia Court as a fixed debt owed by him. Any increase to the dowry agreed after the contract is governed by Article 53 once its documentation requirement is met.

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