Father Denied Bid to Cancel Child Support, Judge Cites Parental Neglect

A Haifa family court has rejected a father's request to cancel his child support payments for his two daughters, ruling that he was the one who abandoned the relationship over the years. The father had claimed a rift with his daughters was caused by parental alienation orchestrated by their mother. The mother stated the father left the girls when they were ages 6 and 4, and has since evaded payments, accumulating a debt of approximately NIS 290,000.

The father insisted the mother was responsible for the estrangement, alleging years of incitement amounting to parental alienation. He claimed his attempts to reconnect were thwarted by the mother, who allegedly instructed the children on how to behave. He argued that he should not be obligated to pay child support while denied contact with his daughters.

However, Judge Tal Paperny found that the father initiated the separation by leaving home without making significant efforts to maintain contact. The court noted that the father did not prove any actions taken to address the estrangement over many years, stating that if he truly wished to reconnect, he would have pursued legal avenues for visitation rather than waiting so long.

The ruling clarified that neither daughter could be classified as "rebellious" in a way that would justify canceling support. The court found no evidence of incitement by the mother. The father's attempt to have child support canceled while simultaneously failing to pay and accumulating a large debt was held against him. The court emphasized that a parent seeking to alter or cancel child support must approach the court with "clean hands" and in good faith, which was not the case here.

The lawsuit was dismissed, child support obligations remain in effect, and the father was ordered to pay the mother NIS 25,000 in legal costs and attorney fees.