Tel Aviv Court Corrects Will, Grants Nephew Exclusive Rights to Property Due to Error

The Family Court in Tel Aviv-Jaffa ruled last week to amend a will after finding a significant error in the deceased's testament. The late man, who had no children, originally bequeathed his entire estate to four nephews and a niece's son in equal shares. However, Judge Sagit Ofek determined that the deceased intended to leave a property in Nes Ziona exclusively to one nephew, referred to as Lior, based on a prior will from 20 years earlier.

Judge Ofek highlighted the close "father-son" relationship between Lior and the deceased, noting that Lior had lived in the Nes Ziona home rent-free and had invested one million shekels in renovations. The judge criticized the lawyer who drafted the later will for using a generic template and questioned whether the deceased fully understood the implications, especially as he did not read Hebrew.

The dispute arose when the nephews initially agreed to divide the estate with Lior receiving the Nes Ziona house but later retracted. The court found that the opposing nieces were aware of the mistake and attempted to exploit it for financial gain. Consequently, they were ordered to pay 60,000 shekels in legal fees to Lior. One of the plaintiffs is Lior's sister, who will now have to compensate him following the ruling.