For the Israeli communities of Los Angeles & New York
Inherited property
or assets in Israel?
We handle it for you. From here.
A full-service Israeli law firm with more than 20 attorneys, offices across Israel, and a branch at 40 Wall Street, Manhattan. Probate, wills, estate disputes and real estate in Israel, managed end to end while you stay in the US.
- ✓ No flight to Israel needed. Power of attorney and apostille cover the process.
- ✓ Member, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA).
- ✓ Hebrew or English. Your choice.
Tell us about your case
We reply within one business day. First consultation is free.
What we do
One firm. Both sides of the ocean.
Most cross-border cases fail on coordination: a lawyer in the US who cannot appear in an Israeli land registry, or a lawyer in Israel who is unreachable during US hours. We close that gap. Our attorneys work from Israel, and our New York branch serves the East Coast. Los Angeles clients are served remotely, in US hours, in Hebrew or English.
Probate & inheritance orders
Filing for Inheritance and Probate Orders with the Israeli Registrar of Inheritance Affairs, including publication, objections and court proceedings when needed.
Israeli wills for US residents
Drafting an Israeli will that covers your assets in Israel and works alongside your US estate plan, without conflict between the two.
Estate administration
Locating assets, managing Israeli bank accounts, clearing debts and distributing the estate between heirs in Israel and abroad.
Inherited real estate
Registering inherited property in your name, managing it from afar, or selling it: negotiation, land registry, taxes and transfer of proceeds to the US.
Estate disputes
Representation in will contests, disputes between heirs and claims against estates, before the Registrar and in Israeli family courts.
Agricultural property (nachala)
A niche few firms handle: inheritance of moshav and kibbutz farmsteads, “successor son” (ben mamshich) arrangements and Israel Land Authority procedures.
The process
How it works from the US
Consultation in US hours
Zoom or phone call, evenings and mornings that work for LA and NY. We map your assets, heirs and goals.
Sign locally, once
We prepare a power of attorney and declarations. You sign before a local notary and add an apostille. We guide every step.
We act in Israel
Our team files, appears and negotiates in Israel: Registrar, courts, banks, land registry and tax authorities.
You stay in control
Regular updates in English or Hebrew. No step is taken and nothing is signed without your review and approval.
Why Vaknin Yariv
A real firm,
not a referral desk.
Cross-border boutiques pass your case between offices. Here, the attorneys who advise you are the attorneys who appear for you in Israel.
20+ attorneys in-house
Inheritance, real estate, litigation and tax under one roof. Your case does not get passed around.
New York presence
Branch at 40 Wall Street, 28th Floor, Manhattan, and NYSBA membership. East Coast clients can meet us in person.
Offices across Israel
Branches in Afula and Bnei Brak (B.S.R Tower), close to every registry, court and land office your case touches.
Recognized in Israel
Ranked by BDI and Dun’s 100. Established 2014. 4.9 average rating across 56 Google reviews.
Meet the founder
Adv. Yariv Vaknin
Founder, Vaknin Yariv Law Office
Yariv founded the firm in 2014 and built it into a full-service practice of more than 20 attorneys, with offices in Israel and a branch on Wall Street. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, and personally oversees the firm’s cross-border inheritance and real estate work for clients in the US.
“Distance should never cost a family its rights in Israel. That is the gap we built this firm to close.”
The team behind your case
Attorneys you will actually work with
Part of a firm of more than 20 attorneys.
Adv. Shlomit Asraf Schneider
Head of Family Law · estate and inheritance disputes
Adv. Meirav Moshe
Insolvency · estates with debts and creditors
Adv. Amit Weizman
Attorney
Recent matters
Cross-border work we have done
Details generalized to protect client privacy.
Probate handled from abroad
Heirs living overseas inherited an apartment and bank accounts in Israel. With a power of attorney, we obtained the inheritance order, sold the apartment and transferred the proceeds, with no visit to Israel.
Will dispute resolved
A contested will threatened to split a family across two continents. We represented the heirs before the Israeli family court and reached a settlement that preserved both the estate and the relationships.
Family farmstead preserved
A moshav nachala with a “successor son” arrangement and heirs in the US. We navigated the Israel Land Authority procedures and secured the family’s rights in the farmstead for the next generation.
Common questions
Questions we hear from LA and NY
Do I need to fly to Israel to handle an inheritance?
In most cases, no. With a power of attorney, signed in the US and certified with an apostille, our team in Israel can file the probate application, manage the estate and complete a real estate sale on your behalf. Meetings are held over Zoom or at our New York branch.
Is there inheritance tax in Israel?
Israel has no estate or inheritance tax. However, selling inherited real estate may trigger Israeli land appreciation tax, and US residents may have separate US reporting obligations. We review the full picture with you before any step is taken.
How does probate work in Israel?
Israeli succession is governed by the Succession Law, 5725-1965. Heirs apply to the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs for an Inheritance Order (when there is no will) or a Probate Order (when there is one). Once the order is issued, assets such as bank accounts and real estate can be transferred or sold.
I have a US will. Does it cover my assets in Israel?
A US will can be recognized in Israel, but enforcing it there is often slower and more expensive. Many clients with assets in both countries prepare a separate Israeli will for their Israeli assets, drafted so the two wills do not conflict.
What documents will I need from the US?
Typically a power of attorney and declarations signed before a notary and certified with an apostille, along with death and family records where relevant. We prepare every document for you and walk you through each signature.
No obligation
Start with a free conversation
Tell us what you own or inherited in Israel, and we will tell you exactly what the process looks like: steps, timeline and costs.
Vaknin Yariv Law Office, established 2014 · [email protected]
