After a death in Israel — succession order, probate order, or no order at all?

Succession · September 6, 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

Three questions set the route. Is there a will? If yes — a probate order; if not — a succession order. Which asset? Provident funds, life insurance and pension funds are paid to beneficiaries and survivors without an order; a bank account, an apartment, a car and securities — only with one. Is there a dispute, a need for an estate manager, or a deceased who lived abroad? If yes — the Family Court; if not — the Registrar of Inheritance, online, in about 40 days.

1. By situation — what you need and who issues it

The detail on the account and the funds is in the article on the deceased's bank account and the article on provident funds, pensions and insurance; on the joint account, in the article on the survivorship clause.

2. What the order does — and does not do

A succession order determines who the heirs at law are (spouse, children, and failing them parents, siblings and so on) and each one's share. A probate order determines that the will is valid. Neither of them lists the assets or distributes them: they are the key that the bank, the Land Registry, the vehicle licensing authority and every other institution use to transfer what stood in the deceased's name — on the heirs' instructions, or under a distribution agreement between them. Banks now retrieve Registrar orders electronically; the Land Registry also needs a registration application, which can be filed together with the application for the order.

Nor is the order the end of the process: estate funds go first to settling debts — funeral and mourning expenses, tax and creditors — and only the balance is divided. An estate manager must publish a notice to creditors (section 99 of the Law); even without a manager it is customary to publish and wait 90 days before distributing. An heir who distributed first, and was then met by a creditor, is personally exposed.

3. Fees and timelines — 2026

Amounts under the Succession (Fees) Notice, 5786-2025, in force from 1 January 2026, updated annually. State fees only.

Time: for a clean, unopposed application the Registrar takes about 40 days on average, after publication in the official gazette and a newspaper and an objection period of at least 14 days. From filing to order in hand, allow one to three months; a complete undisputed estate — six months to a year; a contested file in court — two years or more. The application is filed online, and the system fills in the spouse, children and parents from the Population Registry.

4. What is filed

• The death certificate, and the details of all the heirs (succession order) or beneficiaries under the will (probate order). The applicant declares on affidavit that there are no further heirs — an error there is a problem.
• For probate — the original will. If it was deposited with the Registrar, the Registrar produces it; if it is at home or with the lawyer, it is deposited with the application.
• Notices to the other heirs or beneficiaries that the application has been filed, with proof of delivery — or their written consent.
• A renunciation, if an heir wishes to waive their share, in whole or in part, in favour of the deceased's spouse, child or sibling — filed with the application.
• Heirs abroad: the affidavits are signed before an Israeli consul or a local notary with an apostille; alternatively a lawyer in Israel is authorised to act. A foreign probate or letters do not replace the Israeli order for assets in Israel.

5. What a lawyer adds — and when you can do without one

A simple application — spouse and children, no will or a clear one, everyone in Israel and in agreement — can be filed alone, and the online system is built for it. A lawyer comes in when any of the following is true:

• There is a will that may be challenged — made at an advanced age, close to death, without a lawyer, or disinheriting a natural heir.
• The family picture is complex — second marriages, children from different relationships, a common-law partner, an heir who cannot be found.
• There are assets or heirs abroad, or the deceased was not resident in Israel.
• An estate manager is needed, there are significant debts, or there is a safe-deposit box.
• The heirs want to divide the assets differently from the order — by a distribution agreement, which also has land-tax implications.
• The order needs to match what the banks, the Land Registry and the Companies Registrar will later require — names, old ID numbers, assets held through a company.

6. What to do now, before the order

• Obtain the death certificate and notify the banks, the funds and the insurers.
• Check whether a will was deposited — on the Registrar's website, at home, with the lawyer.
• Register with "מגן ירושה" (Magen Yerusha) — a free alert whenever an application is filed in the deceased's matter.
• Locate assets: "Har HaKesef 2" for bank accounts, "Har HaKesef" and "Har HaBituach" for funds and policies, a Land Registry extract for real estate.
• Publish a notice to creditors and distribute nothing for 90 days.
• If there was a lasting power of attorney or a guardian of property — they may continue certain property matters for up to 90 days, provided no temporary estate manager has been appointed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an Israeli succession order and a probate order?

A succession order (צו ירושה) is issued when there is no will; it determines who the heirs at law are and each one's share. A probate order (צו קיום צוואה) is issued when there is a will; it confirms the will is valid and can be acted on. Both are issued by the Registrar of Inheritance where there is no dispute, and both are what banks, the Land Registry and other institutions need before transferring the deceased's assets to the heirs.

Is an order always needed?

No. Money in provident funds, life-insurance policies and pension funds is paid to beneficiaries or survivors without any order (section 147 of the Succession Law). National Insurance survivors' benefits do not depend on an order. A low balance in a provident fund with no beneficiaries can be withdrawn without an order under certain conditions. But for a bank account, an apartment, a car and any other asset in the deceased's name, an order is required.

How much does an application for a succession or probate order cost in 2026?

The basic fee is NIS 597. For online filing the fee is reduced to NIS 507 plus a NIS 66 publication fee. An application to appoint an estate manager is NIS 597. The amounts are updated annually; these are state fees only, excluding legal fees.

How long does it take to obtain an order?

For a clean application with no objections the Registrar processes it in about 40 days on average, including a publication and objection period of at least 14 days. In practice, from filing to order in hand, allow one to three months. A contested file moves to the Family Court and can take years.

When does the application go to the Family Court rather than the Registrar?

When an objection is filed, when an estate manager must be appointed, when the validity of the will or the identity of the heirs is disputed, and when the deceased was not resident in Israel at death. In those cases the Registrar transfers the file, or the application is filed in court from the outset.

Can the application be filed without a lawyer?

Yes. It is filed online on the Registrar's website, and the system fills in the spouse, children and parents from the Population Registry. A lawyer is needed when the family picture is not simple, when there is a will that may be challenged, when there are assets or heirs abroad, and when the order needs to match in advance what the banks and the Land Registry will later require.

I am an heir living abroad — how do I take part in the application?

Heirs abroad sign the affidavits and notices before an Israeli consul or a local notary with an apostille, or authorise a lawyer in Israel to file on their behalf. An Israeli order is required for assets in Israel even if an order or probate was granted in another country.

The above is general information only, current as of the date of publication, and does not constitute legal or tax advice or a substitute for advice on your specific circumstances. Bank and fund procedures change from time to time and should be confirmed with the institution. Consult a lawyer, and where relevant a tax adviser, before acting.

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