Daughter Contests 10 Million Shekel Inheritance After Mother Writes 'Canceled' on Will

A legal battle is underway in Israel over an inheritance valued at approximately 10 million shekels, sparked by a handwritten word on a will. The deceased woman's only daughter claims her mother effectively canceled the original will by writing "canceled" on it, and is now seeking to invalidate a subsequent will that disinherits her. The daughter argues that the "canceled" notation, made by her mother, holds legal weight according to Israeli inheritance law, which allows for direct cancellation of a will in a form prescribed for its creation.

The daughter's challenge extends beyond the "canceled" mark. She also alleges that a severe rift in her relationship with her mother, which began during the mother's divorce proceedings, led to her mother developing "false perceptions." The daughter refused her mother's request to open a bank account to transfer funds from joint accounts with her partner during the divorce. Citing her mother's emotional distress and potential lack of understanding at the time, the daughter is asking a court to invalidate a will drafted about four years ago.

Further complicating the case is the timing of the disputed will's creation. The day before signing the new will, the mother sold her Tel Aviv apartment. The subsequent will, signed the next day, completely disinherited the daughter and ordered the "immediate realization" of assets. The daughter contends this proximity of events raises questions about the will's drafting process. The beneficiaries of the contested will include a private investigator the mother had hired, an organization he manages, a distant relative, and another woman the daughter claims exploited her mother's vulnerability.

The daughter's lawyers, Be'ez Kraus and Noa Binder-Steinberg, filed an objection with the inheritance registrar, calling it an "exceptional case" where the sole heir for years was disinherited in favor of individuals who entered the mother's life late. They emphasized the "canceled" notation as significant evidence.

Conversely, the attorney for the beneficiaries, Yossi Hershkowitz, stated that the daughter's estrangement from the deceased was "unusual and prolonged." He asserted that the objection is a "bad faith and unfounded attempt" to circumvent the deceased's "clear, conscious, and absolute will." Hershkowitz maintained that no legal document canceling the will exists, that the deceased was competent until her death, and that the will accurately reflects her wishes. He expressed confidence that the court would reject the objection and uphold the will.