Thanks to its specialisation in international law, Abitbol & Associés handles all areas of family and inheritance law, particularly where a case involves one or more cross-border elements between France and Israel.
Abitbol & Associés assigns dedicated teams to conduct the required proceedings in France or Israel: international divorce, protection against domestic violence, registration of wills, gifts, heir searches, expert assessments, liquidation of estates.
The firm favours mediation and conciliation, convinced that settlement agreements, where circumstances allow, avoid proceedings that are lengthy, costly and emotionally painful.
In Israel, divorce between Jewish spouses falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the rabbinical courts, while related matters (child custody, maintenance, division of property) may be brought either before the rabbinical court or before the family court. The choice of the court seised first has major consequences, so it must be made quickly and with full knowledge of the implications.
Where the spouses have ties with France, it is also necessary to determine which court has jurisdiction and which law applies, and to make sure that a decision given in one country will be recognised in the other. The firm also ensures that the get (Jewish bill of divorce) is delivered, without which a civil divorce has no religious effect.
When a deceased person leaves assets in France and in Israel, several legal systems may apply. In Israel, the heirs must obtain an inheritance order or a probate order from the Registrar of Inheritance Affairs or the court. In France, the European Succession Regulation of 4 July 2012 determines the applicable law, in principle the law of the deceased’s last habitual residence.
The firm assists heirs and testators with: