1,762. Are We Concerned That a Get Might Not Be Valid?

Hilchos Geirushin 6:27

If an agent delivers a get to a woman, we are not concerned that the husband may have canceled it. Rather, the agent should deliver it under the assumption that it is valid and the woman can re-marry based on this assumption. If she later learns that the get was canceled, she must leave the second husband and any children from that marriage are illegitimate. Similarly, if a man has a get written and gives it to his wife, we are not concerned that he may have objected to the get. Rather, we assume that the get is valid and the woman can re-marry based on this assumption.

Hilchos Geirushin 6:28

Similarly, if an agent delivers a get from a man who was sick or old, he delivers it under the assumption that the man is still alive. However, if the husband was making death throes, then even if the agent gives the get to the woman, the divorce is in doubt. This is because most people who make death throes actually die, and a get delivered after the sender has died is ineffective. Similarly, if a city is under siege, if a ship is in trouble at sea, or if a person is taken out to be judged, we assume that he’s still alive. If such a person sent his wife a get through an agent, the agent may deliver it and we assume that divorce is effected.