Wills Lawyer in Israel
Your Israeli will, drafted in English or Hebrew - signed at our Herzliya office, at your home, or from abroad
A will is one of the simplest legal documents you will ever sign, and one of the most important. It decides who receives your apartment, your savings and your pension rights, and it spares the people you love from guessing what you would have wanted. Some English speakers living in Israel put it off for one reason: they do not want to sign a legal document in a language they do not fully read, under a law they do not know. That is exactly the part we take care of: your will can be written in English or in Hebrew, whichever you prefer, and we go through every clause with you in plain English.
At Eliyahu & Co. Law Office, founded in 2007 by Adv. Reut Eliyahu, advocate and licensed notary, we draft wills and handle estate planning for English-speaking clients in Israel and abroad. We draft the will in English or Hebrew, explain each clause before you sign, recommend the form of will that best protects your wishes, and help you deposit the signed will with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs. When leaving home is difficult, we come to you. Book a free first consultation →
How Do You Write a Valid Will in Israel?
A will is valid in Israel when it is made in one of four forms the law recognises. Under Section 18 of the Succession Law 5725-1965, those forms are:
- Handwritten: entirely in your own hand, dated and signed
- Witnessed: signed by you before two witnesses
- Before an authority: such as a notary, the strongest form
- Oral: only on a deathbed, before two witnesses
Why It Matters to Have a Will
Without a will, the Succession Law decides who inherits, in fixed shares. A surviving spouse who has children, for example, receives the household movables, including the family car, and half of the rest of the estate, and the children share the other half (Section 11). That may be exactly what you want, or it may not: a second marriage, a child who needs more help, a partner you are not married to, or a home you want to stay in the family all call for a will.
Israeli law gives you wide freedom. There is no reserved share for children or a spouse, so you decide who inherits and how much. The main limit is maintenance: under Sections 56-57, a spouse, children and parents who are in need of support may claim maintenance from the estate, and a clause that denies it is void.
An Online Template or a Lawyer?
For a simple estate, an online form signed before two witnesses can produce a valid will. A lawyer earns the fee when life is less simple: a second marriage, children from different relationships, a business, assets in more than one country, a relative who may object, or a wish that the will be as hard as possible to challenge. In those cases, the wording and the form of the will matter as much as the wishes themselves.
The Four Forms of Will Under Israeli Law
All four forms are equally valid once the requirements are met. They differ in how easy they are to make and, above all, in how well they hold up if someone later questions them.
Handwritten will
Section 19
Written entirely in your own hand, with a date and signature in your hand. No witnesses are needed. It is the easiest form to make, and also the one most often questioned: if any part is typed or written by someone else, it is not a handwritten will.
Witnessed will
Section 20
Written in any way, dated, and signed by you in front of two witnesses, who confirm in writing that you declared it to be your will. Choose witnesses who receive nothing under the will: a gift to a witness, or to the witness's spouse, is void (Section 35), although the rest of the will stands.
Will before an authority (notary)
Section 22
Made before an authority the law names, such as a judge, a Registrar of Inheritance Affairs, a member of a religious court, or a notary. In practice, this usually means a notary. The notary records that you understood the will and made it freely, which makes it the hardest form to challenge.
Oral will
Section 23
Allowed only on a deathbed, or for someone who reasonably sees himself facing death. It is spoken before two witnesses who understand the testator's language and put the words in writing. If the testator recovers, it lapses one month after the danger has passed.
Why a Will Before a Notary Is the Safest Choice
Two of the most common claims against a will are that the testator did not understand what he was signing, or that someone pressured him. A will made before a notary answers both questions in advance. The notary confirms your identity, makes sure the will is read to you in a language you understand, and records that you understood it and are making it of your own free will. Years later, that record speaks for you.
- Hard to contest: the notary's record answers claims of confusion or pressure before they are raised.
- In English or Hebrew: the will can be written in either language, and it is read to you in a language you understand.
- Made where you are: at our Herzliya office, or at your home or care facility when leaving is difficult.
- One visit: once the draft is agreed, the signing itself takes a single meeting.
Adv. Reut Eliyahu is both the lawyer who drafts your will and a licensed notary, so the whole process stays with one person you already know.
Mutual Wills for Couples
Couples often want the same thing: the survivor keeps everything and stays in the home, and after both of them, it all goes to the children. A mutual will, recognised under Section 8A of the Succession Law, is built for exactly this. Each spouse makes a will relying on the other's, and the arrangement protects the plan you made together.
Mutual wills are more binding than ordinary wills, and that is their strength. While both spouses are alive, either one can cancel the arrangement by giving written notice to the other. After one spouse dies, the survivor can change course only on the conditions the law sets, so the wills should say clearly what the survivor may and may not do. We draft those terms with you, in plain English, before anything is signed.
An elderly couple asked us to prepare mutual wills: when one of them dies, everything passes to the surviving spouse, and when the survivor dies, everything passes to their children. Leaving the house had become hard for them, so we came to them. The wills were made before a notary at their home, and we explained what that form gives them: a will made before a notary is very hard to challenge, so they can be confident that what they decided together will be carried out.
A Lasting Power of Attorney Alongside the Will
A will speaks only after death. A lasting power of attorney covers the years before: it lets you choose now who will manage your money, property or medical decisions if you can no longer do so yourself, instead of leaving it to a court-appointed guardian. It is made under the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law 5722-1962 before a lawyer certified for this purpose, and it is often signed at the same time as the will.
Depositing Your Will With the Registrar
After signing, you can deposit the original will with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs. It is optional, and we usually recommend it:
- It will be found. Before issuing a probate order or a succession order, the Registrar and the courts check whether a will was deposited.
- It cannot be lost or damaged. The original is kept safe by the Registrar, not in a drawer.
- It stays private. No one can see or withdraw it during your lifetime but you.
- A first deposit carries no fee. A later deposit within five years costs a modest fee, ₪126 in 2026.
Only the testator can deposit a will, either in person at a Registrar office or online through the government portal, with the original delivered within 45 days. Depositing does not freeze your wishes: you can take the will back at any time, and a later will still prevails even if it is not deposited. The official service is described on gov.il.
A client who lives abroad and owns assets in Israel wanted his Israeli affairs in order before flying home, and time was short. We drafted a detailed will covering each of his Israeli assets, handled the signing, took him through every clause, and helped him deposit the will with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs. From his first call to a signed and deposited will, the whole process took two days.
Changing or Revoking a Will
A will is not final until the end. Under Section 36, you can revoke a will by making a new one in any of the four forms, by revoking it expressly, or by destroying it. A new will also revokes an earlier one wherever the two conflict, even if it says nothing about the old will.
That last rule is where people get into trouble. Two wills that partly overlap leave the family to work out which clause survives, and a new will signed in one country can accidentally cancel a will made in another. A well-drafted will states plainly what happens to every earlier will. It is also worth reviewing your will after a marriage, a divorce, a birth or the purchase of a home.
Living Abroad With Assets in Israel
If you live outside Israel but own an apartment, a bank account or shares here, a separate Israeli will for those assets makes life much easier for your heirs. Two rules of the Succession Law are worth knowing. Which country's inheritance law applies depends on where you are domiciled at death (Section 137). And a will is valid in form in Israel if it meets any one of several laws, among them Israeli law and the law of the place where it was signed (Section 140).
We prepare the whole will remotely, by phone, video and email, and guide you through signing it where you are so that it will stand in Israel. If you can sign here, even on a short visit, that is simpler still, and as the case above shows, it can be done within days. We also make sure the Israeli will and your will abroad work together: each covers its own assets, and neither revokes the other by accident.
When the time comes, an Israeli will is also easier for the Israeli Registrar to work with than a foreign document. Where you were domiciled abroad, the heirs may still need a foreign legal opinion on the law of that country, and we tell you in advance whether yours will. One thing you do not need to plan around: Israel has no inheritance tax.
How We Prepare Your Will
- Free first consultation. In person, by phone or by video. You tell us about your family, your assets and what you want, and we tell you which form of will fits and what the fee will be.
- Drafting. We draft the will in English or Hebrew, as you prefer, to cover each asset and each person by name, including what happens if a beneficiary dies before you, and, if you wish, who will carry out the will.
- Review in English. We go through the draft with you clause by clause until it says exactly what you mean.
- Signing. Before a notary or before two witnesses, at our office, at your home, or, from abroad, with our guidance where you are.
- Deposit and safekeeping. If you choose, we help you deposit the will with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs.
A Flat Fee, Agreed in Advance
The full fee is agreed in writing at the free first consultation, before any work begins. It is not billed by the hour and does not depend on the size of the estate.
One Lawyer, Start to Finish
Adv. Eliyahu drafts your will, explains it and, as a notary, can take your signature. You deal with the same person throughout.
We Come to You
For clients who find it hard to leave home, we hold the meeting and the signing at your home or care facility.
About Adv. Reut Eliyahu
Adv. Reut Eliyahu
Founder · Eliyahu & Co. Law Office · Israel Bar Association since 2007
Adv. Reut Eliyahu founded Eliyahu & Co. Law Office in 2007 and is both an advocate and a licensed notary. Much of her practice is inheritance: wills, probate and succession orders, and estates that cross borders, for clients in Israel and abroad.
She personally handles every will the office prepares, from the first conversation to the signing, and explains each step in English, Hebrew or Spanish. Because many estates include an apartment or a business, clients also benefit from the office's broader practice in real estate and civil law.
What Our Clients Say
Most of our clients come by referral
From former clients, their families and colleagues. Each review on the firm's Google Business Profile comes from a client who worked directly with the office.
The stars in this section are the rating on the firm's Google Business Profile. The rating at the top of the page is the visitor rating for this page only. They are two different measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Israeli law recognises four forms of will under Section 18 of the Succession Law 5725-1965: handwritten, before two witnesses, before an authority such as a notary, and oral. For most people the practical choice is between a witnessed will and a will made before a notary.
The steps are simple: list your assets and the people you want to provide for, have the will drafted in clear language, and sign it in the form the law requires. We explain every clause before you sign, and you can deposit the signed will with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs so it is found when the time comes.
Yes. Israeli law does not require a will to be written in Hebrew, and we draft wills in English or in Hebrew, whichever you prefer. When the will is filed after death, the Registrar may ask for a certified Hebrew translation, which is a routine step. What matters most is that you fully understand every clause, so we go through the will with you in English before you sign.
The law does not require one. A handwritten will is valid if it is written entirely in your own hand, dated and signed. When a will is challenged, the argument is usually about its wording or the way it was signed, not about what the testator wanted. A lawyer makes sure the will says what you mean, covers every asset, and is signed in a way that stands up if anyone challenges it.
For most people, a will made before a notary. The notary confirms your identity, that you understand what you are signing and that you are signing freely, which makes the will much harder to challenge later. A witnessed will is also fully valid and is a good choice for many families. We recommend the form that fits your situation at the first consultation.
Yes. Under Section 140 of the Succession Law, a will is valid in form in Israel if it meets any one of several laws, including Israeli law and the law of the place where it was signed. We draft the will remotely and guide you through the signing so that it stands in Israel. If you can sign here, even during a short visit, that is simpler still.
Under Section 36 of the Succession Law, you can revoke a will by making a new will in one of the recognised forms, by revoking it expressly, or by destroying it. A later will also revokes an earlier one to the extent that the two conflict. That is why a new will should always say clearly what happens to the old one, including any will you signed in another country.
A mutual will is made by two spouses who rely on each other's wills, under Section 8A of the Succession Law. A common arrangement is that everything passes to the surviving spouse, and after both have died, to the children. While both spouses are alive, either one can cancel the arrangement by giving written notice to the other.
It is optional, and we usually recommend it. A deposited will is kept safe and cannot be lost, and the Registrar and the courts check for deposited wills before issuing a probate order or a succession order. Only you can deposit it or take it back, and the first deposit carries no fee.
Yes. Israeli law gives you freedom to decide who inherits, and there is no reserved share for children or a spouse. The one important exception is maintenance: under Sections 56-57 of the Succession Law, a spouse, children and parents who are in need of support may claim maintenance from the estate, and a clause that denies them maintenance is void.
No. Israel abolished its estate tax in 1981, and there is no inheritance tax today. Passing an estate to the heirs is not treated as a sale for tax purposes. Other taxes can still apply later, for example when an inherited property is sold, and heirs who live abroad should also check the rules of their own country.
We work on a flat fee, agreed in writing before any work begins. It is not billed by the hour and does not depend on the size of the estate. You receive the fee at the free first consultation.
Free First Consultation
Tell us briefly what you would like the will to cover: your main assets, the people you want to provide for, and whether you are in Israel or abroad. We reply within one business day. The first consultation is free and without obligation.
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HaOgen 4
Herzliya Pituach
Israel
Sun-Thu: 08:00-19:00
Fri: 08:00-13:00
English · Hebrew · Spanish
Put your wishes in writing, the right way.
Your will, drafted in English or Hebrew and explained clause by clause, signed before a notary at our office or at your home. One conversation is usually enough to know which will fits you.
Sun-Thu 08:00-19:00 · Fri 08:00-13:00 (Israel time) · At our office, at your home, by Zoom, WhatsApp or phone