Can a husband divorce his wife while maintaining financial relations with her?

Question

The passuk (Devarim 24:1,3) describes a get as a ספר כריתות, a “book of separation.” To that end, Chazal derive that a get must completely separate between them. A classic example of this is that a get given on condition must have an “end date” for the condition; a man can give a get on condition that his wife not drink wine during the next 30 days, but he cannot give it on condition that his wife not drink wine ever (Gittin 21a, etc.).

Does this extend to financial relations between them? If a woman rented property from her husband, must she terminate the lease for the get to be valid, or does the requirement that the get sever their connection only refer to things within the get’s power to sever, i.e., their original marriage? While I have never heard of such a Halacha, this question arose as I was attempting to answer this question, and I realized that this point was not as as clear as I imagined it was.

Answer 1

THe Halacha is as following:

1. The Gett only stops all obligatory financial obligations that stem D'Orayso/Derabanan (as Joel answered "שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר לוֹ עָלֶיהָ רְשׁוּת"). All the previous obligations left unfulfilled and not forgiven turn to a debt (like the Kesubah).

2. The Gett does not prohibit any following voluntary financial relations between the two, such as loans, payments, even partnerships as long as there's no direct contact between the two.

This is explicitly hinted in Shu"A Eh"Ez 119:7-8:

"מי שגירש אשתו מן הנשואין לא תדור עמו בחצר שמא יבואו לידי זנות..."

"היה לה מלוה אצלו עושה שליח לתובעו:"

"One who divorced his wife from the marriage cannot live with her in the [same] courtyard [because] maybe they will come to impropriety"

"If she had a loan by him, she should appoint a messenger to claim it."

Shulchan Aruch Harav explains it even better, but I can't find it right now.

Answer 2

Rambam, Hilchot Geirushin 1:3:

סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת. דָּבָר הַכּוֹרֵת בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר לוֹ עָלֶיהָ רְשׁוּת.‏

A bill of divorcement: something that separates between him and her, so that he has no control over her.

According to Rambam, the problem is when he has (indefinite) continuing control/possession (reshut) over her (like in the case of attaching an unending condition to the divorce).

Any other form of connection, such as an unrelated financial agreement, would not mean that she is in his reshut, and would not invalidate the divorce.