Israeli Court Orders Father to Pay Reduced Child Support to Avoid Financial Hardship
The Family Court in the Krayot recently ruled that a father of three must pay only 1,100 shekels per month in temporary child support and housing costs to the mother who is raising their children alone. The judge, Gila Safra-Barnea, was convinced that a higher payment would push the father into severe financial distress. The couple married about 20 years ago, and two of their children are still minors. The mother fled the home in March 2023 due to ongoing violence and threats from the father, who reportedly suffers from alcoholism and chronic intoxication. In April 2024, custody of all three children was awarded to the mother.
The mother claimed the father had cut off contact and provided no financial support, leaving her solely responsible for the children’s needs, including a 14,000 shekel cosmetic surgery for their daughter and 7,500 shekels in dental treatment for their son. She requested 6,000 shekels monthly in child support plus contributions for housing, education, and health expenses. The father argued these demands were excessive and said he had no income in the past year, living in hardship with a deteriorated condition that left him unable to function normally. He insisted the mother should bear all financial responsibility and that forcing him to pay would cause him to starve and lose his basic right to dignified living.
Judge Safra-Barnea noted the couple are Orthodox Christians, whose personal status law generally places full child support responsibility on the father unless the mother is wealthy. She found the mother’s income significantly higher, about 80% compared to the father’s 20%. The judge assessed the children’s monthly needs at 3,800 shekels but decided the father should pay only 800 shekels for the two minors, plus 300 shekels for housing, totaling 1,100 shekels monthly. Additional education and health expenses would be shared proportionally. The judge emphasized this arrangement would allow both parents to maintain a reasonable standard of living temporarily until a full financial review and custody schedule are clarified. A follow-up hearing is scheduled after the Jewish New Year.
