The Israeli Inheritance Law recognizes four legally valid forms of a will:
- Holographic Will (Handwritten Will) – A person writes the entire will in their own handwriting, includes the date, and signs the document.
- Oral Will
A person who is facing imminent death may declare their will orally before two witnesses who understand the language in which the will is made. - Will Executed Before Witnesses
This is a written document bearing the date of execution. The testator signs the will in the presence of two witnesses, after declaring to them that it is their will.
The witnesses must then confirm, by signing the will, that the testator declared the document to be their will and signed it in their presence. - Will Made Before an Authority
A will before an authority may be executed either by:
declaring the terms of the will orally before a judge, a court registrar, the Registrar of Inheritance Matters, or a member of a religious court; or
personally submitting the written will to one of the above officials.
The Most Common Types of Wills
The two most commonly used forms of wills in Israel are:
A Will Executed Before Witnesses
A Will Made Before an Authority
A Will Made Before an Authority may also be executed before a Notary Public. Under Israeli law, a notary (an attorney licensed and appointed as a notary) has the same authority as a judge for the purpose of certifying this type of will.
Why Is It Important to Have a Will Prepared by a Legal Professional?
A will that does not comply with the formal requirements of the Israeli Inheritance Law may ultimately be declared invalid when it is needed most.
Having a will prepared or reviewed by an experienced attorney helps ensure that it accurately reflects the testator’s wishes and will remain legally valid and enforceable upon death.
