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Adv. Reut Eliyahu, personally
The lawyer who assesses your case is the lawyer who files it and argues it. You deal with one person from the first call to the last hearing.
Israel office: Sun-Thu 08:00-19:00 · Fri 08:00-13:00
Inheritance Dispute Lawyer in IsraelVisitor rating for this page:
Contesting a Will or Probate in Israel
·By Adv. Reut Eliyahu, Notary
Objections to probate and succession orders, and disputes between heirs
For heirs in Israel · the United States · the United Kingdom · Canada · France and across Europe
If a will leaves you out, gives almost everything to one sibling, or an order was granted before you even heard about the application, you are in the right place. Eliyahu & Co. represents heirs in Israeli inheritance disputes, whether filing an objection or defending a will, and every file is handled personally by Adv. Reut Eliyahu.
2 weeks+Minimum objection period after publication
6 groundsRecognised for contesting a will
Section 35A gift to whoever helped make the will is void
80/20 → 50/50One of our cases, settled without a trial
How do you contest a will or probate in Israel?
File an objection with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs before the order is granted, under Section 67 of the Succession Law (5725-1965).
- Publication: the application is published for at least two weeks
- Objection: a written objection on a recognised legal ground
- Family Court: evidence, witnesses and experts, or a settlement
- After the order: an application to cancel it under Section 72
Every case turns on its evidence. Schedule a free consultation →
Our Firm
A will contest is won or lost on evidence, long before the hearing.
Contested estates hide risks that are easy to miss: an objection filed without a recognised legal ground, a medical record that nobody requested in time, a witness who took part in making the will, or an heir abroad who learns about the application only after the order has been granted. Each of them is far easier to handle when it is spotted early.
Eliyahu & Co. works in Israeli inheritance law across the whole range, from a single disputed apartment to estates with property, accounts and heirs in several countries. We act for those who object and for those who defend a will, so we know how each side builds its case and where it is weakest.
Every file goes directly to Adv. Reut Eliyahu, the founder of the firm. She reads the will and the medical records herself, prepares the objection or the defence, and appears in the Family Court. There is no team passing the file around and no junior lawyer reading your documents, which matters in a dispute where one overlooked detail can change the outcome.
📍 How do you know this is the right firm for you? Tell us what happened and what you want to achieve. You will get a frank view of your chances, including when an objection is not worth filing.
Will Contest Lawyer in Israel
What You Get From Our Inheritance Dispute Practice
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Experience on both sides
We file objections and we defend wills against them. Knowing how the other side thinks is what makes an assessment honest and a strategy realistic.
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Settlement first, trial when needed
Many disputes end once each party sees the law clearly, as in our first case below. When they do not, we go to court prepared.
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Evidence-led
Capacity and undue influence cases are proved with medical records, witnesses and expert opinions. We identify what is needed at the start, not on the eve of the hearing.
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Heirs in more than one country
Families split between Israel, the United States and Europe are a routine part of our work, including coordination with lawyers abroad.
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A flat fee, agreed in advance
A written quote before any work begins, not a percentage of the estate and not an hourly meter running in the background.
You don't need to understand Israeli law. That is what we are here for.
A dispute over an inheritance is hard enough without an unfamiliar process, a foreign language and a long distance. We handle the Israeli side for you and keep you updated at every stage, by Zoom, phone or WhatsApp.
Contesting a Probate in Israel
Contesting a probate in Israel: how an objection works
To contest a probate or succession order in Israel, an interested person files an objection with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs once the application is published. Under Section 67 of the Succession Law, the period is at least two weeks, and an objection may be filed until the order is granted. The file then goes to the Family Court.
A probate order gives effect to a will, so an objection to it challenges the will itself: whether it is valid, whether the testator had capacity, and whether someone influenced it. A succession order is issued when there is no will, so an objection to it usually concerns who the heirs are and what share each receives. In both cases the objection is a written document that sets out the legal ground and the facts behind it, supported by evidence.
Once an objection is filed, no order is granted until the Family Court decides. Without an order, banks and the Land Registry will generally not release the estate's assets, which gives the objection real weight. It also means an objection should not be filed lightly: the other side will answer it, and the court will expect evidence.
| Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Publication | The Registrar publishes the application so that objections can be raised | The period set in the notice (Section 67) |
| No objection | The Registrar grants the order | Once the file is complete |
| Objection filed | The Registrar transfers the file to the Family Court | Any time until the order is granted |
| Family Court | Pleadings, documents, witnesses and experts; the parties can settle at any stage | Depends on the evidence |
| After the order | An application to amend or cancel the order | Section 72; the sooner, the better |
Source: Succession Law 5725-1965, Sections 67 and 72.
Before or after the order? This is the first question we ask in every case. Before the order, you object and the estate waits for the court. After it, you apply to cancel the order, and the assets may already have been transferred.
Contesting a Will in Israel
Grounds for contesting a will in Israel
Israel has freedom of testation. Under Section 27 of the Succession Law, a person may leave their estate to whomever they choose, so a will that leaves out a child or a spouse is not invalid for that reason alone. To contest a will, you must show one of the following legal grounds.
1. Lack of capacity
Under Section 26, a will is void if it was made by a minor (under 18), by a person declared legally incompetent, or by someone who could not understand what a will is. Medical records are usually the key evidence.
2. Undue influence
Under Section 30, a provision made under undue influence, threat, duress or fraud is void. Courts look at dependence, isolation, and whether the beneficiary was involved in making the will.
3. A defect in form
A handwritten will must be written, dated and signed by hand, and a witnessed will signed before two witnesses. Under Section 25, the court may overlook some defects when there is no doubt the will is genuine.
4. A beneficiary took part in making it
Under Section 35, a provision in favour of someone who witnessed the will or took part in making it, or their spouse, is void. Only that provision falls, not the whole will.
5. Forgery
If the signature is not the testator's, the document is not their will. Forgery is usually proved with a handwriting expert and a forensic examination of the document.
6. A later will
A later valid will revokes an earlier one to the extent they conflict. If one turns up after an application has been filed, it can change the whole file.
What is not a ground: being unhappy with how the estate was divided. A spouse, child or parent who depended on the deceased may, however, claim maintenance from the estate, and a will cannot exclude that claim (Sections 56-57).
Objecting to a Will in Israel
Objecting to a will in Israel after the order is granted
Missing the objection period does not close the door. Under Section 72 of the Succession Law, anyone with an interest may apply to amend or cancel a probate or succession order, on the basis of facts that were not before whoever granted it.
This is the route when an heir abroad learns about an application only after the order was granted, when a will turns up late, or when facts come to light that the Registrar never saw. It is harder than objecting in time: the applicant has to explain why the facts were not raised earlier, and by then assets may already have been transferred. That is why, when an order has already been granted, we check the file and the state of the assets before anything else.
Who can contest a will or an order
Children
When there is no will, children inherit by law, including children born outside marriage and adopted children. A child may object to a succession order that leaves them out, and to a will on one of the legal grounds above.
A surviving spouse
A spouse can be left out of a will, but what the spouse already owns, such as their share of jointly owned property, is not part of the estate at all. With children, a spouse inherits the household movables, including a car, and half of the rest by law (Section 11).
Beneficiaries of an earlier will
If a later will cuts you out, and you believe it is forged, defective or the result of undue influence, you may object as a beneficiary of the earlier will.
Creditors of the deceased
A creditor has an interest in the estate. Where the heirs are not dealing with the debts, a creditor may object or ask the court to appoint an estate administrator to protect the assets.
Inheritance Dispute Cases
Inheritance dispute lawyer in Israel: cases from our practice
One dispute we closed without going to court. In the other, we went to court and won. Names and identifying details are left out to protect our clients.
A will produced after the order · Section 35✓ Settled without a court case
A will that appeared after the succession order
The situation: We applied for a succession order for our client after his mother's death. His sister was notified as the law requires, and she did not respond. The order was granted, and the estate was to be divided equally.
The dispute: After the order was granted, the sister came forward with a will from their mother that left her 80% of the estate and her brother 20%. She claimed that her brother had known about the will, and threatened to go to court to cancel the order.
What we showed her: She had taken part in making the will herself. Under Section 35 of the Succession Law, a provision in favour of someone who took part in making a will is void. The will also lacked what the law requires for the witnesses' confirmation. In court, the provision in her favour would most likely have been struck out and passed by law among the heirs, while her brother's share remained his.
The result: Full agreement, without any court proceedings. The estate stayed divided 50-50, exactly as our client wanted, and the assets were sold quickly, with both sides cooperating.
The estate, three ways
Our clientHis sister
Contesting a probate order · Capacity & undue influence✓ Will set aside
A mother's estate left entirely to one son
The situation: A probate order had been granted for a will under which one son inherited all of his mother's assets. His brothers and sisters, our clients, received nothing.
Our position: We challenged the will on two grounds. First, the mother did not have legal capacity when the will was made. Second, the will was the result of undue influence. All her life she had said that everything should be divided equally between her children, and the will contradicted that completely.
The result: We proved both lack of capacity and undue influence. The will was set aside, and the estate was divided equally between all of her children, as she had always intended.
The estate, before and after
All the childrenOne son alone
Every case turns on its own facts and evidence. These examples do not predict the outcome of another case.
Inheritance Dispute Process
Working With Us on a Contested Estate
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A frank first assessment
We look at the will, the order and the timeline, and tell you whether there is a real ground, what evidence it needs, and whether settling makes more sense.
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A written flat-fee quote
A clear quote for the work described, agreed in writing before anything is filed.
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Evidence and filing
We gather the medical records, documents and witnesses, and file the objection or the response on time.
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Negotiation or trial
We negotiate from the strength of the evidence, and when there is no fair settlement, we take the case through the Family Court.
About the Firm
Adv. Reut Eliyahu, Attorney & Notary
Founder · LL.B + MBA · Israel Bar member since 2007 · Notary · Registered arbitrator
Eliyahu & Co. specialises in Israeli inheritance law, from wills and succession and probate orders to contested estates in the Family Court. The firm represents children, spouses, beneficiaries and executors, in Israel and abroad, in objections, applications to cancel orders and disputes between heirs.
The work covers every legal side of a contested estate: the grounds under the Succession Law 5725-1965, the procedure before the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs and the Family Court, estate administration, and the transfer of property at the Land Registry once the dispute is resolved.
Adv. Reut Eliyahu holds an LL.B and an MBA, is a member of the Israel Bar Association, a licensed notary and registered arbitrator. The combination of litigation and negotiation skills is what allows many disputes to be settled on good terms, and the rest to be won in court. About the firm →
📍 ★★★★★ on the firm's Google Business Profile · Clients in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and across Europe.
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Strategy
Assessment before filing
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Direct access
To your lawyer
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Family Court
Litigation experience
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Thoroughness
Evidence first
⚖️ Israel Bar License No. 47439🎓 LL.B + MBA🏛️ Notary⚖️ Registered Arbitrator🌍 EN / HE / ES
Inheritance Dispute Lawyer in Tel Aviv
Inheritance Dispute Lawyer in Herzliya, Tel Aviv and Across Israel
Meetings at our office in Herzliya Pituach, at your home, by Zoom or by phone. Choose an area:
Inheritance disputes in Herzliya
Our office is in Herzliya Pituach, and many of the contested estates we handle are close to home: a parent's apartment in Herzliya or Ramat HaSharon, siblings who live nearby but no longer speak, a will signed shortly before a hospital stay. An early meeting helps, because the documents and the timeline usually show within one conversation whether an objection has a real ground. We know the local courts well and appear at every hearing ourselves.
Book a meeting at our Herzliya office →Contested estates in Tel Aviv
In Tel Aviv, an inheritance dispute is often a dispute over one valuable apartment. One heir wants to keep it, another wants to sell, and a will written late in life tips the balance. We represent heirs across Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Givatayim, in objections to probate and succession orders and in claims between co-heirs. When the dispute ends in an agreement, we also handle what follows: the sale, a buy-out between the heirs, or registration at the Land Registry.
Discuss a Tel Aviv estate →Ra'anana, Kfar Saba and English-speaking families
Ra'anana and Kfar Saba are home to many immigrant families, and their estates often cross borders: a will made in the United States or the UK, children on two continents, assets in both countries. When an heir contests such a will, the question of which law applies can matter as much as the facts. We handle these disputes alongside lawyers abroad where needed, and make sure the Israeli part of the estate, often a family apartment, is not held up longer than necessary.
Ask about a cross-border estate →Will contests anywhere in Israel
We represent heirs throughout the country, from Haifa and the Galilee to Jerusalem and Beer Sheva. An objection is filed with the branch of the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs that holds the file, and the case is heard by the Family Court in the relevant district. Where the court sits rarely matters: most of the work is written, medical evidence is gathered wherever it is kept, and Adv. Eliyahu appears at every hearing herself, in whichever district the case is heard.
Tell us where the estate is →Will Contest Lawyer for Heirs Abroad
Contesting an Israeli Will From Abroad
The Israeli process and our service are the same wherever you live. Choose your country:
Heirs in the United States
A typical case: a parent who lived in Israel, or an American parent with an apartment in Tel Aviv, and a will that surprises the family. American probate does not decide the Israeli part of the estate. An objection to an Israeli probate or succession order is filed in Israel, under Israeli law, and heirs in the United States have exactly the same rights as heirs here. Our US line, +1 (310) 735-4210, is answered during Pacific business hours, Monday to Friday.
Call our US line →Heirs in the United Kingdom
British families often assume that the English grant of probate settles everything. For assets in Israel it does not: an Israeli bank or the Land Registry acts only on an Israeli order, and a dispute over that order is decided in Israel. If a relative has applied here on the basis of a will you believe is invalid, the objection belongs in Israel. We work alongside your solicitor in the UK when the estate has assets, accounts or property in both countries.
Message us on WhatsApp →Heirs in Canada and Europe
Heirs in Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Italy often learn about an Israeli application weeks after it was filed. Their rights are the same as those of an heir living in Israel. A provincial probate, a French notaire or a German certificate of inheritance does not decide the Israeli part of the estate: an Israeli order does, and so does any dispute over it. We coordinate with your local lawyer or notary wherever the estate requires it.
Send us the details →Heirs anywhere in the world
We have also represented heirs in South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay and Moldova. Wherever you live, an Israeli will or order is contested in Israel, and your rights as an heir do not depend on your address. Families are often spread over several countries at once; we keep every heir informed and coordinate with local lawyers where needed. Service is available in English, Hebrew and Spanish. Tell us where you live and what has happened so far, and we will explain your position under Israeli law and the route that fits it.
Tell us where you are →An objection to consider, or a will to defend?
One conversation will tell you whether there is a case, what it needs and what it will cost.
Inheritance Lawyer Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
Google Business Profile
Most of our clients come by referral
From former clients, lawyers and mediators. Each review on the firm's Google Business Profile comes from a client who worked directly with Adv. Reut Eliyahu.
19 yearsPractising Israeli inheritance law
EN · HE · ESLanguages of service
Both sidesFiling objections and defending wills
NotaryLicensed Israeli notary in 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.
Objecting to a Probate in Israel
Contesting a Will in Israel: Common Questions
Contesting a will or probate
You file a written objection with the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs after the application for the probate order is published, setting out a legal ground such as lack of capacity, undue influence, a defect in form or forgery, with supporting evidence, before the order is granted. The file then moves to the Family Court.
Lack of capacity (Section 26), undue influence, threat or fraud (Section 30), a defect in form (Section 25), a provision in favour of someone who took part in making the will (Section 35), forgery, and a later valid will. Being left out of a will is not a ground in itself, because Israel has freedom of testation (Section 27).
Yes. Under Section 72 of the Succession Law, anyone with an interest may apply to amend or cancel a probate or succession order, on the basis of facts that were not before whoever granted it. It is harder than objecting in time, and by then assets may already have been transferred, so it is worth acting as soon as you learn of the order.
The Registrar publishes the application, and the objection period is at least two weeks from publication. An objection may still be filed after that, as long as the order has not been granted (Section 67). After the order, the route is an application under Section 72.
Inheritance disputes
An inheritance dispute lawyer assesses whether there is a legal ground, gathers the evidence, files the objection or the response before the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs, and represents the client in the Family Court. A large part of the work is also negotiation: many disputes end in an agreement once both sides see the law and the evidence clearly.
Yes. Under Section 27 of the Succession Law, a person may leave their estate to whomever they choose. Two things remain: what a spouse owns in their own right is not part of the estate, and a spouse, child or parent who depended on the deceased may claim maintenance from the estate, a right a will cannot exclude (Sections 56-57).
The estate passes by law and a succession order is issued. When the deceased left a spouse and children, the spouse inherits the household movables, including a car, and half of the rest of the estate, and the children share the other half equally (Section 11). An heir who is left out of the application may object to it.
No. The parties can settle at any stage, before or during the Family Court proceedings. In our experience, an early and honest assessment of the legal position often leads to an agreement, as in the first case on this page, where the estate stayed divided 50-50 without any court proceedings.
Heirs abroad and cost
Yes. Heirs abroad have the same rights as heirs in Israel, and the objection is filed in Israel under Israeli law. We handle the proceedings here for you and keep you updated at every stage. If the order has already been granted, it can still be challenged under Section 72.
It depends on the scope of the case: an objection that settles early is priced differently from a full trial with witnesses and experts. We charge a flat fee for the work described, agreed in writing before any work begins, not a percentage of the estate and not an hourly rate. Court fees are set by regulation.
After an objection is filed, the time depends on the evidence and on whether the parties settle: a dispute that settles can end quickly, while a trial with medical evidence and experts takes considerably longer. We give you a realistic picture after reviewing the file.
Israeli Inheritance Law Guides
More on Inheritance in Israel
Inheritance & Estate Lawyer →Wills, orders and estates in Israel, the full picture.
Probate in Israel →How a will is probated, and what the order does.
Succession order →When there is no will, who inherits and how.
Writing a will that holds →The best way to prevent the next dispute.
Heirs who own a property together →Dissolving co-ownership of an inherited home.
Foreign legal opinion →When the deceased lived abroad.
In Hebrew: חוק בית המשפט לענייני משפחה · עורך דין ירושות וצוואות
Contact an Inheritance Dispute Lawyer
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Contesting a will? Know where you stand before you decide.
Objections to probate and succession orders, disputes between heirs, families in Israel and abroad - one conversation will show you your options.
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