Family & Inheritance Lawyers in Israel
Divorce, Child Support, Custody & Wills
Most people who come to us don’t want a fight. They want to understand what is about to happen to their children, their home and their money - and what the right next step is. We guide families in Israel through divorce, child support and custody, financial agreements, wills and estate planning, and protecting those who can no longer decide for themselves.
Representing clients before the Family Courts and the religious tribunals throughout Israel - in English.
Our areas of practice
Five clusters. Pick the one that describes your situation - and go straight to the right page.
The separation itself
The divorce process, step by step Separation before divorce Reconciliation or divorce agreement Divorce & family - overviewThe children
Child support Child custody Transferring custody from mother to father Parental alienationProperty & agreements
Prenuptial & financial agreements Selling the apartment in a divorce Dividing property & resource balancing Common-law spousesWhen someone can no longer decide
Durable power of attorney Appointing a guardian Guardianship - how it works Paternity claimsInheritance, wills & estates
Wills & inheritance Contesting a will Estates of foreign residents in Israel Special-needs trustsFour very different situations
Each one calls for a different first step.
Considering separation, no step taken yet
You want to know what happens first, what can go wrong, and what to put in order before anything is filed.
See what happens before filingThe dispute is about the children
Support, custody, parenting time - or a parent pushing the children away. Facts on the ground tend to become the default, so waiting is not always wise.
Child support & custodyThere are assets to protect
An apartment you brought into the marriage, a business, an inheritance - or a financial agreement you want done properly.
Property & agreementsYou are thinking about the next generation
A will, estate planning, a durable power of attorney - or an inheritance that has opened and a dispute between heirs. Especially relevant for foreign residents with assets in Israel.
Wills & inheritanceThree mistakes that cost dearly
Each one rests on a specific provision of Israeli law - not on a slogan.
Signing a durable power of attorney that turns out not to be enough
The bank may decline to act - exactly when time is short.
A durable power of attorney is not a form. Some acts may be performed only if the document authorises them explicitly, and others require prior approval. A generically worded document may simply not contain the power you actually need.
What the law says
Express authorisation in the document is required for gifts, donations and loans - and only to persons named in it - for pension-product transactions, and for financial acts above certain thresholds. Since Amendment 21 came into force in August 2025, applications to approve financial acts are generally submitted to the Administrator General rather than to court. And note: no statute obliges a bank to honour a durable power of attorney - the arrangement with the banks rests on a voluntary 2022 memorandum of understanding.
Missing the window to contest a probate order
An order already granted is very hard to undo.
Once an application for a probate order is filed, the Registrar of Inheritance publishes a notice - and an objection must be filed within fourteen days of publication. Whoever waits “until things become clearer” usually arrives after the order has been granted.
What the law says
An extension may be requested, but it is discretionary. Once an objection is filed, the case moves from the Registrar of Inheritance to the Family Court. Source: Succession Law 1965, sections 67 and 67A(a)(1).
Filing without understanding which forum you are standing in
Timing matters - but it is not the whole story.
In Israel, family disputes can be heard in the civil Family Court or in a religious tribunal, and jurisdiction over some matters can be attached to a divorce case. After the mandatory dispute-resolution process, the party who filed first gets a window to choose the forum - a choice that can shape the entire case. Yet filing first is not enough on its own: subject-matter jurisdiction and the validity of the attachment matter too.
Why this is especially urgent now
On child support in the rabbinical courts, the legal position has changed twice in the last eighteen months and is still unsettled. This is a question that must be checked as of today - not based on an article from two years ago.
What really happens in a divorce process
A short talk on what to know before filing - and why timing matters as much as substance. The video is in Hebrew.
- Why the process starts with a dispute-resolution request, not a claim
- What the stay of proceedings covers, and what counts as urgent relief
- When an agreement beats litigation - and when it doesn’t
Five steps, from the first call to the end
Step two is a legal requirement - and most people have never heard of it.
Intake & mapping
What happened, what truly matters to you, and what the immediate risks are. By the end of the call you know the next step and what it costs.
Dispute-resolution request & MAHUT meetings
In family matters the law requires filing a dispute-resolution request first. An information meeting is held, with up to three more; during this period a stay applies and neither side may file a claim - except for urgent relief.
Agreement or litigation
If there is a basis for agreement, we will exhaust it - it is faster and cheaper. If not, we enter the process with a clear strategy.
The proceedings themselves
Pleadings, disclosure of documents and assets, experts where needed, and hearings. You get an update after every step.
Enforcement & follow-up
A judgment or agreement is not the end of the road. Collection, enforcing parenting time and changed circumstances are part of the work.
Four commitments
Not slogans - things you can measure us by.
A reply within one business day
You won’t chase us. Every inquiry is answered within one business day.
Fees in writing, up front
You will know what it costs before you commit - no surprises mid-way.
We won’t drag you into needless litigation
If a settlement serves you better than a fight - we will say so, even when it pays us less.
You speak with the lawyer handling your case
The person who knows your file answers you - not a call centre.
If this sounds like the kind of counsel you are looking for - a ten-minute call gives you a better answer than any web page.
Questions nearly every family asks - in one minute
The videos are in Hebrew. Click to play.
Divorce lawyer
Legal counsel through divorce
Divorce mediation
A will for a second chapter in life
A will with an addiction-protection trust
Estate planning
Full guides for every topic
Many of the questions we hear repeat themselves, and each has its own full guide. Parents wondering how much will be paid, and by whom, will find the answers in child support, filing a child-support claim, increasing or reducing support when circumstances change, support for a child born outside marriage, handling support arrears and collection through the National Insurance Institute.
On the children themselves - custody and parenting time, shared parenting, relocating with children after divorce, the signs of an alienating parent and parental alienation syndrome.
On the property side, the difference between a financial agreement and resource balancing is the difference between what you decided in advance and what the law will decide for you. Related: financial agreements for same-sex couples, same-sex marriage, common-law spouses, selling the apartment in a divorce, surrogacy and dissolution of marriage for interfaith couples.
And for the next generation - a durable power of attorney is made while you are capable and takes effect only when you no longer are; wills and inheritance, no-contest clauses and contesting a will govern what happens afterwards; and the Israeli estate of a foreign resident, taxation of an inherited apartment, special-needs trusts and objecting to a probate petition concern those already in the middle of it. Family businesses have a chapter of their own: representing family businesses, the family charter, intergenerational transition and mediation in a family business.
What people ask us
Can I file for divorce immediately?
Until what age is child support paid, and by whom?
I am a foreign resident with assets in Israel - is this relevant to me?
What is the “race of jurisdictions” and why does it matter?
Is a notary enough for a financial agreement?
When is property divided, and can it be done earlier?
What is the difference between a durable power of attorney and guardianship?
How long do I have to contest a probate order?
Not sure what the right move is?
If you are at the beginning of the road - this is exactly the conversation to have before taking any step. Call us or send a WhatsApp message, and we will get back to you within one business day.