Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Basic Terms / Glossary
Everything you own when you pass away becomes your estate. This includes property, bank accounts, and other rights.
An official legal document that governs how your estate will be distributed after your death.
This is the process of having a Will officially approved as the final valid Will after a person's death. In Israel, most Wills are probated by the Inheritance Registrar (but some are probated in the family courts or religious tribunals). The probate process includes submitting the original Will, notifying all the heirs, and allowing time for anyone who might want to contest the Will.
This is a person whose responsibility is to locate and distribute all the estate assets. In Israel, in most cases there is no need for an executor at all. The inheritors can file for probate and distribute the assets themselves.
A type of tax that some countries impose upon an estate before it is distributed, or upon a person receiving an inheritance. Israel does not currently have any estate tax or inheritance tax.
This is a basic principle of inheritance law in Israel, which means that every person has the right to choose who inherits their estate. It also establishes a person's right to change their Will freely if they choose to do so.
Mutual Wills are Wills made by a couple jointly, while relying on each other's Wills. Mutual Wills could be made in one document or in two separate documents. When making Mutual Wills, the couple can choose to limit their right to change their Wills in the future.
EZwill™: Features & Options
EZwill™ was created by an attorney and designed to minimize mistakes made by the user. However, the wills created on EZwill™ are not all reviewed by a lawyer. We do provide support and are happy to answer your questions. You can email us at info@ezwill.co.il, or schedule a short Zoom session with our lawyer.
Ezwill™ is much more than a standard form or template. EZwill™ is an automated Will generator created by our legal team. This allows you to customize and address a number of variables, within a defined framework. (For example – choosing the age at which your minor children would receive their portion of the estate; choosing whether or not you and your spouse would like to limit your ability to change the Will in the future, name your executor, addressing any prior Wills, and more).
The basic structure of your Wills would be that the first spouse to pass away leaves everything to the other, and the second spouse leaves everything to your children in equal portions.
Here are some of the things that can be customized in your Wills:
- Bequeathing items with sentimental value to a specific person
- Choosing a country in which the Wills won’t apply because you have a separate Will there already
- Addressing large monetary gifts and loans you may have given some of your children
- Naming an estate executor
- Naming a trustee (if needed)
- Some customizations re. mutual wills and other limitations.
We estimate it would take about 30-40 minutes to complete the form, if you have all of your information ready in advance.
If you'd like to complete the form in one sitting, you should prepare the following information in advance:
Full names and ID numbers (either an Israeli ID number or a passport number, if you are not Israeli) for the following people:
Yourself and your spouse
All your children.
Your executor (who can be your spouse or your children)
Your chosen trustee for minor children.
Your chosen guardian for your minor children.
If you have any prior Wills that you would like to keep valid – the date the previous Will was signed and the jurisdiction it applies to.
If you would like to address any previous monetary gifts you've given some of your children – the amount to be granted to the remaining children.
If you've given any of your children loans that need to be deducted from their portion – the name of the children who received such loans.
Yes. Once you begin filling out the questionnaire, you will have the option to save your form and complete it at another time.
You have a chance to review all of your answers before your will is created, and to make any change needed.
Additionally, even after you receive your wills, you’ll be able to revisit and change your answers for a period of 6 months.
Even though your child is still officially a minor, it probably isn't necessary to include provisions regarding guardianship for your soon-to-be 18 year old. Therefore, the package geared towards someone with adult children is probably most suitable for you.
Your Will includes a "residual clause" which makes it apply to all assets even if they are not specified in the Will. Your Will would still be applicable and valid even if some of your assets change. That being said, when big changes occur in your life, it's a good idea to review your Will and see if it still aptly reflects your wishes, or if it needs to be updated.
At the moment, EZwill™ does not yet offer an automated solution for such cases, since they are usually more complex and very individual. However, we are always working on developing more services and if this is something that is important to you, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to us at info@ezwill.co.il and tell us what you are looking for!
Some fields are required fields, some are not. If you are missing details (such as an ID number for your child), you can save your work, and then complete the form later.
If you have a technical question, you can reach out to support at info@ezwill.co.il.
If you need legal advice, you can make a list of your questions and then schedule a meeting with an attorney to discuss your questions.
Please contact us and we will let you know what we can offer. We are constantly working on broadening our services. Perhaps what you need is already in the works and will launch soon!
Yes! If you are interested in a Halachically accepted Will, our recommendation is that you sign a separate document, which is a Halachic addendum to your Will. You can make use of a standard Halachic addendum, free of charge, here (for a man) and here (for a woman).
This addendum is based on the addendum prepared by Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Ben Yaakov, a dayan in the Tel Aviv Beit Din, which can be found here.
This addendum should be signed along with your Will itself, in front of two Halachically acceptable witnesses.
How to Write a Will
First and foremost, your Will contains instructions how to distribute your financial rights, property and possessions (your Estate) after you pass away.
Additionally, if you have minor children or special needs children, your Will would include instructions regarding guardianship for your kids and the management of your assets until they become adults.
Your Will should not include instructions as to who would look after your affairs when you are alive but incapacitated (that would be an Enduring Power of Attorney).
Similarly, a Will should not include your wishes and instructions regarding end-of-life decisions (This kind of document is often called a "Living Will", which can lead to some confusion).
Additionally, a Will is an official legal document that is kept private during your life but may be publicly viewed after it is probated. For this reason, it is generally a good idea to convey any personal messages to your loved one in a separate and personal document, and not in your official Will.
The most common way to create a valid Will in Israel is to have the Will printed, and then sign it in front of two witnesses (who also sign on the Will).
There are other options for making Wills, that include signing in front of a notary or creating a handwritten Will (which does not require any witnesses). A handwritten Will is less recommended, since your inheritors may not know of it's existence (or where to find it), it may get lost/destroyed, and there is usually only one original in such cases.
With EZWill, you'll receive detailed instructions on how to sign your Will properly in front of two witnesses and store it safely, so that you have a valid Will at the end of the process.
You are not obligated to use a lawyer to create a Will. However, if you draw up your Will on your own there a several risks involved, and you might unknowingly make mistakes that could cause your inheritors unnecessary expenses, bureaucracy, costs, and even family conflict.
There may also be certain points that you haven't even thought of, which should be addressed in your Will.
EZWill is here to help you automatically create your own Will, while guiding you through the process, asking you the right questions, and creating the document for you, specifically to avoid such mistakes.
No, it does not. Your Will can be general and refer to all your rights and assets without listing all of them. It would be important to list specific assets if you want to give specific instructions for those assets.
Mutual Wills are Wills made by a couple jointly. Mutual Wills could be made in one joint Will or in two Wills – one for each of you (it is our recommendation to create mutual Wills in two separate documents).
In a mutual Will, the couple can decide to limit their right to unilaterally change their Wills in the future, because you are relying on the other's Will when making your own. This option allows you greater certainty and security, knowing that your joint estate plan won't easily be changed later without your knowledge.
There are pros and cons to mutual Wills, and these are discussed within the questionnaire. EZWill offers a few models of mutual Wills that best fulfill most couples’ needs.
We suggest jotting down your initial thoughts, even if they are incomplete and you are somewhat undecided. That will help you take the first step.
As you create your EZWill, you will have guided questions and tips that may help you with your choices. If you don't have answers on the spot – you can save the form and come back to it later.
You will also have a chance to review all your answers at the end, before your Will is generated, and to make any corrections to any of your answers.
If you feel that you still need more guidance or specific legal advice, we suggest you consult with an attorney.
Foreign Wills & Languages
Currently, EZwill™ offers Wills written in English only. In the future we will offer Wills in Hebrew as well. Your Will is completely valid in English, and it’s important that the Will be written in a language you are comfortable reading.
Yes. An Israeli Will can be valid in any language. What's most important is that you understand what your Will says.
When your Will gets probated (after you pass away), your inheritors might be required to translate it (although that's more likely to be required for very long and complex Wills).
The short answer is: YES, BUT…
Let's explain:
In most cases, a Will that was properly drawn up in another country would still be valid in Israel, but it probably isn't the best plan for your Israeli assets.
Wills from other countries often include complex trusts or tax-planning provisions that are not suitable for Israeli law and unnecessarily complicate the inheritance process in Israel.
If you already have a Will from another country, you may want to keep it valid specifically for that country, and create a new Will just for your assets in Israel. EZwill allows you to do this.
Yes you can!
If you already have a Will in another country, you can customize your Will on Ezwill™ so that your first Will remains valid in that country.
Alternatively, you can choose to have your EZwill™ apply worldwide. If you choose this option, keep in mind that EZwill™ is created to comply with Israeli law, so it's important to check with a lawyer licensed in any country in which you have assets and to find out if your EZwill™ is a good solution for that jurisdiction.
Yes, you can. EZwill™ has an option to refer to a prior Will and keep it valid in that country.
It is generally a good idea for you to have a separate Will governing your Israeli estate. EZwill™ can ensure that your Will applies only to your assets in Israel, leaving your estate plan in your country of residence intact.
The option for foreign residents will be available in the near future. Contact us to let us know you're waiting, and be the first to know when it's available!
Israeli Inheritance Law
Wills aren't just for the elders or people who know they are nearing the end of their life. We never know when life might end abruptly, without giving us the chance to get our affairs in order and make things easier for those we leave behind.
Once you start having children or accumulating assets (or both), then it's time for you to have a Will.
When someone dies without a Will, there's a default arrangement that determines how their estate is divided, depending on their family structure.
For example, if you are married and have children, and do not have a Will, then your children would inherit half of your estate (including half of the house and the joint bank account), and your spouse the other half.
That arrangement might reflect what you want, but in most cases it does not. Many people would rather have their entire estate go to their spouse, and have their children benefit only after they both pass away.
Additional reasons for needing a Will may include:
- If you have children under age 18 – addressing who their guardians and trustees would be.
- If you gave large gifts (such as assistance towards a down payment on a house) to some of your children but not all of them and would like to balance that out in the Will.
- If you have certain assets that you'd like to give to specific people.
- If you have a complex family structure (such as second marriages)
If you have a special needs family member
Surprisingly, no. Israeli bank accounts do not have a "rights of survivorship" or a "transfer on death" option, that is available in some other countries (such as the U.S.). This means that even for a joint bank account in Israel, you need a Will.
This is also true for a joint marital home. The surviving spouse does not automatically inherit the entire family home.
In Israel, a life partner (also referred to as a common-law spouse, or "Yedium Batzibur") has the same inheritance rights as a husband or wife would.
If you do not have a spouse or life partner, then your children would inherit your estate in equal shares. In such a case, if you want to divide everything among your children equally anyhow, then you may not need a Will.
That being said, there are some reasons why you should still have a Will:
- If your kids are not Israeli citizens, it would be very helpful to have them all listed in your Will with full names and ID numbers (such as a passport number). This would make things much easier for them after you pass away.
- If you gave one of your children a large gift or loan (such as help with a down payment on a home), then you might want that to be taken into account when dividing your estate, so that the rest of your kids receive a similar amount before dividing the rest equally. This requires a Will.
- If there is a chance you might find yourself in a new relationship but you still want to ensure that only your own children inherit you (and not your new partner), it's important to have a Will.
- If you have any children with special needs or would also like to leave certain sums directly to your grandchildren or anybody else, then you would need a Will.
Each of your children are named in the Will along with their ID number. The Will can include a provision saying it applies to any future children you may have but it's still a good idea to come back and update your Will to include the newest addition to your family by name and ID number. If you need help with this, you can contact us at info@EZWill.com.