Wills & Estate Planning
When to Update Your Will in Israel
Life Events That Require Action
Marriage, divorce, a new child, new property — each of these is a trigger to review and update your Israeli will. Adv. Liron Elmaliach explains what changes automatically by law and what you must actively update to protect your family.
Life Events That Trigger a Will Update
A will reflects your life at the moment it was made. As your circumstances change, your will may no longer reflect your true intentions — or worse, may produce legal outcomes you never anticipated. The following life events should prompt an immediate review.
- MarriageUnlike some legal systems, marriage in Israel does not automatically revoke a prior will. Your existing will remains valid. However, your new spouse now has statutory inheritance rights, and your estate plan should be updated to reflect your intentions clearly.
- DivorceDivorce does automatically void all testamentary provisions in favour of your former spouse under Israeli law — they are treated as having predeceased you. The rest of the will survives intact, but you should make a new will to appoint a replacement executor and update your beneficiaries.
- Birth of a childA child born after a will was made may be entitled to a share of the estate even if not mentioned. The law protects children in such situations, but the outcome may differ from your wishes. Update your will after each birth to state your intentions clearly.
- Death of a beneficiaryIf a named beneficiary dies before you, what happens to their share depends on your will's wording and Israeli succession rules. Without a substitution clause, the gift may lapse or pass under intestacy. Update your will to designate alternate beneficiaries.
- Acquiring significant new assetsPurchasing a property, inheriting assets, or growing a business substantially changes what your estate contains. If your will makes specific bequests, new assets may fall outside them. A residuary clause helps, but a full review is advisable.
- Change of executorIf your named executor has died, moved abroad, lost capacity, or your relationship has changed, update your will to name a new executor who is willing and able to act. An estate without a functioning executor creates delays and potential disputes.
As a rule of thumb: review your will every three to five years even if nothing has changed — and immediately after any of the events above.
How to Update Your Will — the Options
There are three legally valid ways to update an Israeli will. The right choice depends on the nature of the changes needed and the type of will you originally made.
Option 1 — Revoke and make a new will: The most straightforward approach for substantial changes. You formally revoke the existing will (in writing, signed before an attorney) and execute an entirely new one. This eliminates any risk of conflicting provisions and provides a clean, unambiguous document.
Option 2 — Add a codicil (תוספת): A codicil is a formal amendment that modifies specific clauses while leaving the rest of the original will intact. It must meet the same formal validity requirements as the original will — two witnesses for a typed codicil, entirely handwritten for a holographic codicil. Codicils are best suited to minor, targeted changes.
Option 3 — Make a new will that overrides the old one: A new will can explicitly revoke the prior will in whole or in part, or it can simply conflict with the old will — in which case the later will generally prevails on points of conflict. However, relying on implied revocation creates ambiguity and is not recommended. Explicit revocation in the new will is always preferable.
What NOT to do
Never cross out, write over, or annotate a signed will — whether typed or handwritten. Handwritten amendments without witnesses are not valid under Israeli law and may invalidate the entire document. Do not rely on informal notes or verbal instructions to supplement a will. Any change to a signed will must go through a proper legal process.
Adv. Liron Elmaliach advises on the most appropriate method for your situation and prepares the updated documents to ensure they are legally watertight. The initial consultation is free of charge.
Frequently Asked Questions — Updating Your Will in Israel
Common questions about amending and reviewing Israeli wills
Update Your Will — Protect Your Family
Free Initial Consultation
Adv. Liron Yitzhak Elmaliach — Wills & Succession, Jerusalem