Israeli Court Overturns Grandmother's Alimony Order for Grandchildren

The Lod District Court has overturned a family court's decision that would have required a grandmother to pay 4,800 shekels monthly in alimony for her three grandchildren. The original ruling had ordered the grandmother to pay instead of her daughter, who has ceased contact with the children. The district court judge found that the lower court erred by not fully considering the father's financial capabilities and the potential for shared responsibility among grandparents on both sides.

According to legal site Psakdin, the children are under the sole custody of their father, as their mother has no contact and is not involved in their upbringing. In October 2025, the mother was ordered to pay 1,600 shekels per child in alimony, but these payments were unsuccessful, with the father claiming she now owes 342,000 shekels. The father then sued his former mother-in-law, arguing her financial situation allowed her to support the grandchildren, while he struggled with expenses.

The family court had initially granted the father's request for temporary alimony in July 2026, noting the grandmother's monthly income of 18,000 shekels net, including salary and benefits. The court reasoned that since the father's parents were providing him financial assistance, the maternal grandmother should share the burden.

The grandmother appealed, asserting she should not be liable for her daughter's debts and that the family court had not adequately assessed the grandchildren's needs or the father's income and expenses. She also claimed the father was hindering her contact with the grandchildren.

The district court acknowledged that grandparents are obligated to assist with grandchildren's support if parents cannot, provided the grandparents have the means. However, the judge stated the family court had not sufficiently examined the case's nuances. The court should have independently assessed the children's needs and the father's ability to provide before considering grandparental contributions, rather than automatically transferring the daughter's alimony obligation. The district court discovered the father's bank accounts showed monthly transactions of 47,000 shekels, contradicting his claim of a 6,800 shekel monthly income. The judge noted that even with 2,000 shekels monthly aid from his parents, the father's demand for a much larger sum from the grandmother was unjustified without a proper burden-sharing assessment.

Consequently, the district court canceled the temporary alimony order against the grandmother and returned the case to the family court for a fair decision based on all available information.