Haifa Family Court Cancels Inheritance Order After Forged Signature Discovered

The Family Court in Haifa recently annulled a revised inheritance order that excluded a daughter in favor of her three brothers, ruling that the daughter's signature on a waiver affidavit was forged. Judge Tal Peperni relied on a graphological expert opinion indicating a 70 to 90 percent probability of forgery and found inconsistencies in the testimony of the lawyer who allegedly witnessed the signature. The father died in the 1980s and the mother passed away in 2019. Initially, a will was executed naming the daughter as the sole heir. However, months later, a request to amend the order was submitted along with a waiver affidavit purportedly signed by the daughter, relinquishing her inheritance rights to her brothers. The daughter contested this, claiming she never signed the affidavit and that her mother had chosen her as sole heir due to her care until the end. The brothers maintained the daughter had signed the waiver in the presence of a lawyer and some siblings. The lawyer presented three conflicting versions regarding the identification and signature verification of the daughter, ultimately distancing himself from the event. Judge Peperni sided with the daughter, stating he trusted her account over the defendants' and criticized the lawyer's inconsistent statements, suggesting they resulted from pressure by the brothers. The court also noted critical evidentiary failures by the defense, including the absence of testimony from another sister who was allegedly present during the signing. The forged signature ruling led to the cancellation of the amended inheritance order and reinstatement of the original one favoring the daughter. The brothers were ordered to pay 72,500 shekels in legal fees and court costs. The case was handled by attorneys Azmi Y. Nasar for the plaintiff and Ephraim Eligola and Mahmoud Khalaila for the defendants. The article was provided in cooperation with the Israeli legal website Paskdin.