Yariv Vaknin Law Office specializes in inheritance and wills and has accompanied clients over the years through complex files, often where significant amounts are at stake. Together, we will help you ensure that your estate is distributed in precise accordance with your needs and lifestyle, and in a manner that respects your wishes.
Why Do You Need an Inheritance and Wills Attorney?
We devote a significant part of our lives to accumulating assets and building an economic foundation for our families: savings, real estate, investment portfolios, and businesses. After years of work and planning, most of us want to ensure that the estate will be distributed in a fair, responsible manner that aligns with our values and wishes.
The Inheritance Law of 1965 establishes a default for the distribution of the estate, but it does not always reflect the testator’s wishes or the unique needs of family members. To allow for flexible and personalized distribution, advance planning and professional drafting of a will and inheritance agreements are required.
Why Is It So Important to Draft a Will?
The will is one of the oldest and most important documents in law, and it allows the testator to determine who will receive what, under what conditions, and in what manner. Beyond the distribution of assets, it can include directives for ceremonies, special instructions regarding heirs, conditions for distribution, and unique designation of assets.
Without a precise will drafted by a wills attorney, the estate will be subject to distribution by law alone, in a way that is not always tailored to the testator’s wishes and sometimes opens the door to complex family disputes. Professional and early drafting of a will reduces areas of uncertainty and the potential for disagreements.
Ongoing Guidance Throughout the Procedure – From Designing the Will to Realizing the Estate
Yariv Vaknin Law Office provides you with an inheritance attorney experienced in formulating the wording of a legal will, providing advice, and protecting the rights of family members. The guidance includes anticipating future scenarios, providing instructions for every asset, addressing every heir, and depositing the final wording in the appropriate registry.
At the estate-realization stage, the firm handles the filing of applications for inheritance orders and probate orders, the consolidation of documents, communication with the Inheritance Registrar, and the regulation of rights in assets – including real estate, bank accounts, funds, and companies.
Representation in Disputes and Objections to Wills
The firm’s team specializes in handling objections to wills, clarifying estate disputes, and representation before the Inheritance Registrar and the Family Court. Extensive experience in the field sometimes allows us to reach efficient agreements outside the courtroom, and in other cases to conduct determined legal proceedings until achieving the best result for the client.
The handling includes examination of claims of undue influence, legal incapacity, formal defects, interpretation of the will’s provisions, as well as conducting negotiations between heirs to reduce family tensions.
Frequently Asked Questions on Wills and Inheritance
What is the difference between a will and inheritance by law? A will allows the testator to set personalized distribution rules, including special conditions, instructions for minors, and provisions for the welfare of certain family members. Inheritance by law distributes the estate according to fixed inheritance orders (spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and so on), even if the distribution does not match the testator’s wishes.
How do you file an application for an inheritance order or probate order? An applicant approaches the Inheritance Registrar with an application form, identification documents, supporting documents, and the original will (in the case of a probate order). The procedure includes formal review, public notice, and the issuance of a formal order after no objections have been filed or after they have been resolved.
Can a will that has been written be challenged? An objection to a probate order may be filed when there is a claim of undue influence, legal incapacity of the testator, defects in the form of the will, or doubt as to the authenticity of the document. The objection is heard at the Family Court, and is sometimes also based on medical opinions and additional evidence.
Who is entitled to inherit when there is no will? When there is no will, the law sets a hierarchy of heirs: spouse, children and grandchildren, parents and siblings, and so on, according to family proximity. The estate is distributed according to these arrangements, without taking into account personal circumstances or wishes that were not defined in advance.
Is there an inheritance tax in Israel? As of today, there is no general inheritance tax in Israel, but other taxes may apply to certain transfers of assets within the framework of the inheritance – for example capital gains tax on the sale of a residential apartment. Proper estate planning can reduce tax exposures and allow for more efficient distribution of assets.
Need to draft a will, get advice on an inheritance proceeding, or representation in an estate dispute in northern or central Israel, or in a cross-border file? Leave your details on the site or call 052-2288824 to schedule a personal and discreet consultation with an inheritance and wills attorney from Adv. Yariv Vaknin Law Office – and together we will build a precise and fair estate plan that protects you and your family.
