1,594. Extending the Statute of Limitations

Hilchos Ishus 16:24

If one of the husband’s heirs brought the widow her maintenance and took care of her needs while she was living in her father's house, then she can demand payment even after 25 years. In such a case we can assume that she remained silent because she was embarrassed to sue the heir for money.

Hilchos Ishus 16:25

Let’s say that a woman claims to have been a virgin with a kesubah of 200 zuz when she married but the husband or his heirs claim that this is not the case and her kesubah is only 100 zuz. If there are witnesses who testify that the local marriage customs of virgins were performed for her, such as particular garments, then she can collect the 200; if this is not the case, she can only collect 100. If her husband is alive, she can require him to take a Torah-based oath because he acknowledges part of her claim. In cases such as this, testimony is accepted from an adult who remembers such marriage practices from his childhood being performed for this woman. As noted, all this only applies in places where the practice is not to record the kesubah in a document.