A Mutual Will is a unique and popular legal tool for spouses in Israel. It allows couples to draft wills that rely on each other, ensuring the financial security of the surviving spouse before inheritance passes to the children.
What is a Mutual Will?
The Inheritance Law allows spouses to make joint wills. Typically, they state that upon the death of one spouse, their entire estate passes to the survivor. Only after both pass does the remaining estate go to their children.
Protecting the Surviving Spouse from Claims
The primary benefit is preventing situations where children demand their statutory share immediately upon one parent's death, forcing the surviving parent to sell their home to pay the children.
Legal Restrictions on Revoking or Amending
Mutual wills carry strict rules for revocation: * **While both are alive**: One must give written notice to the other, which automatically voids both wills. * **After one dies**: The survivor must renounce any inherited share from the deceased spouse to amend the will.