Child Support Debt of 133,000 Shekels: Haifa Court's Creative Ruling
An ex-husband left Israel with a 133,000 shekel child support debt. The Haifa Family Court ruled to register an inherited office in the debtor's name, allowing the mother to initiate enforcement proceedings against the property.
A woman attempting to collect a child support debt of approximately 133,000 shekels from her ex-partner has received a unique tool from the Haifa Family Court. Judge Liron Zerbel-Kadshai granted the father, who left Israel in February 2024 and has not returned, full ownership of a 17.30-square-meter office space he inherited from his grandmother. This registration is intended to allow the plaintiff to initiate enforcement proceedings against the property.
The financial context is straightforward. Under a 2018 court order, the father is obligated to pay child support. To collect the arrears, the mother opened a file with the Enforcement and Collection Authority in Haifa. By the time the lawsuit was filed, the debt had reached 133,000 shekels. However, the plaintiff faced a hurdle: the debtor had fled the country, and his inheritance rights could not be enforced due to the specific wording of the grandmother's will.
Why was a court judgment necessary?
The property in question was inherited, but the will, validated on July 3, 2024, failed to specify which of two office units belonged to which beneficiary (the son and the grandson/debtor). Without concrete property registered in the debtor's name, there was no asset to seize. The plaintiff requested a declaratory judgment to divide the units. Represented by Adv. Oren Zoran, she argued that the debtor's lack of defense should be treated as consent.
Dividing the Property
The second heir, the debtor's uncle, did not object. Through his attorney, Israel Harpaz, he noted the units were nearly identical (16.65 sqm and 17.30 sqm) and agreed to take the smaller one. The judge ruled that the debtor would receive the larger unit, which the plaintiff had already requested to be placed under a lien to prevent it from being hidden.
Serving an Absent Debtor
A significant portion of the proceedings involved serving notice to a person whose whereabouts are unknown. The last contact occurred on November 5, 2024, via WhatsApp from a foreign number. After the debtor changed his name and severed ties, the judge authorized substituted service in January 2025, including publication in foreign newspapers. Judge Zerbel-Kadshai ruled that the plaintiff had exhausted all efforts to locate the defendant, stating that the debtor should not be allowed to thwart the judicial process by fleeing.
Practical Implications
The judge clarified that the ruling does not grant the plaintiff immediate cash, but rather establishes the necessary legal foothold to proceed with enforcement. She noted that the ruling does not harm the debtor; rather, it secures his property rights, which he could use to settle his debts if he chooses to return. The court rejected a request to classify the registration as an 'inheritance' event for tax purposes, leaving that to the discretion of tax authorities. The debtor was ordered to pay 5,000 shekels in legal costs.
