<![CDATA[The high rate of divorce by litigation triggers female impoverishment post-divorce due to low legal literacy. This empirical-qualitative study aims to explore the protection of the ex-wife's financial rights through the judge's ex-officio power at the Bawean Religious Court and analyze the determinant variables in maintenance assessment. Data were collected via interviews and court decision document studies. The results indicate that the application of ex-officio power stems from statutory mandates (obligatio ex lege) to uphold substantive justice for island communities with limited legal literacy, thereby not violating the ultra petitum partium principle. Judges also made a progressive breakthrough by requiring maintenance settlement before issuing the divorce certificate. Maintenance amounts are determined proportionally based on determinant variables: root causes of divorce, marriage duration, proof of past negligence (madhiyah), and the ex-husband's net income. Theoretical implications reinforce ex-officio power as a statutory instrument for substantive justice, while practical implications ensure executable decisions. Religious Courts are recommended to strengthen legal aid services and institutionalize the pre-divorce certificate payment scheme.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
