1,626. The Maintenance of Daughters

Hilchos Ishus 19:10

One of the conditions of the kesubah is that after their father dies, daughters have the right to receive maintenance from his estate until they are betrothed or reach the age of majority (of a bogeres, i.e., 12½). If a daughter reaches the age of majority without getting betrothed, or if she is betrothed before reaching the age of majority, she is no longer entitled to receive maintenance. When a daughter receives maintenance from her deceased father’s estate, money that she earns and ownerless objects that she finds belong to her and not to her brothers.

Hilchos Ishus 19:11

An allocation is made from a man’s estate to provide maintenance, clothing and housing for his daughters the same way that it is made for his widow. His real estate may be sold to provide his daughters’ maintenance and clothing without making a public announcement the same way that it is sold to provide a widow’s maintenance and clothing. The allocation given a widow is made according to her social status and her husband’s social status (whichever is higher) but daughters are only provided with their necessities. Unlike widows, daughters are not required to take an oath in order to collect.