Drama at the Execution Office: Ex-wife's attempt to arrest ex-husband leads to loss of 1.9 million NIS
A divorced woman sought an arrest warrant against her ex-husband for a 1.9 million NIS child support debt, but the execution registrar ruled the debt was actually a disguised business obligation and ordered it discharged.
A complex divorce dispute nearly resulted in the imprisonment of a resident of the Shefela region after his ex-wife attempted to enforce an arrest warrant for a massive child support debt. In a recent ruling, the execution registrar ordered the deduction of approximately 1.9 million NIS from the child support file managed against the man. The registrar accepted the arguments of Adv. Zvi Vishengard, representing the debtor, and determined that the debt originated from business loans and guarantees rather than child support.
The affair began when the husband’s business faced severe financial distress, with his wife registered as a guarantor for his obligations. Following their divorce at the Ashdod Rabbinical Court, the man struggled with child support payments. Simultaneously, the woman faced a 1.5 million NIS demand from banks regarding her business guarantees. The couple subsequently reached an agreement to fold the business debt and an additional 400,000 NIS loan into the child support collection file, which the Rabbinical Court approved as an addendum to their divorce agreement.
In September 2020, the man filed for insolvency. When creditors submitted claims, the ex-wife insisted the full amount was child support—a debt not subject to discharge. However, Adv. Vishengard argued it was a standard business debt. The appointed trustee, Adv. Ruth Schwartz, agreed, classifying it as a regular financial debt. The woman did not appeal this decision, and in November 2025, the man received a final discharge order.
Despite this, the ex-wife later renewed collection proceedings and obtained an arrest warrant. Adv. Vishengard quickly filed a request to close the file on the grounds of "payment made," arguing the debt had been discharged. Execution registrar Netanel Neeman granted the request, clarifying that labeling a debt as "child support" does not alter its true legal nature under insolvency laws. He ordered the deduction of the sum from the file.
Adv. Zvi Vishengard, chairman of the Insolvency Committee at the Israel Bar Association, summarized the case by stating that the nature of a debt is determined by its essence, not its title. He noted that one cannot convert business loans into child support debts simply to bypass the law and deny a debtor the right to a fresh start.
