Israeli Court Limits Joint Account Ownership
An Israeli court has ruled that being registered as a joint holder on a bank account does not automatically confer ownership rights to the funds held in that account.
The decision arose from an inheritance dispute between siblings following their mother’s death, in which the sister claimed entitlement to half of the funds based solely on her joint account status.
The court rejected the claim, finding that all funds originated from the mother and that she added the sister to the account purely for administrative convenience, without intent to make a gift or transfer ownership.
The ruling provides guidance for inheritance and estate planning disputes in Israel, reinforcing the need for clear evidence of intent when joint accounts are used.
S. Horowitz & Co. represented the brother in the litigation. The advising lawyers were Noam Zamir and Maya Ganor.
