Financial Agreement for Cohabiting Couples in Israel

Why Cohabiting Couples Need a Written Agreement

Many cohabiting couples in Israel assume that a long relationship creates the same legal protections as marriage. In practice, the law for yedua'im batzibur is significantly less clear — courts apply a case-by-case analysis that is both expensive and unpredictable. The simplest and most reliable protection is a written financial agreement made while the relationship is stable.

An agreement made in good faith at the start or during a relationship is far more likely to reflect both parties' actual intentions than a court determination made after a painful separation. Adv. Elmaliach drafts these agreements for cohabiting couples across the full spectrum of circumstances.