ייפוי כח מתמשך · Yipuy Koach Mitmashech
Plan ahead for a time when you may no longer be able to make decisions on your own. An Enduring Power of Attorney ensures your finances, healthcare, and personal matters are handled exactly as you wish — with full guidance available in English.
An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) — known in Hebrew as ייפוי כח מתמשך — is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more trusted people to make decisions on your behalf if you ever become unable to do so yourself. This could be due to illness, injury, cognitive decline, or any other condition that affects your decision-making capacity.
Unlike a standard power of attorney — which is typically limited in scope or time — an EPA is specifically designed for the long term. It does not come into effect until a medical professional confirms your incapacity, and once activated, it remains valid and ensures uninterrupted management of your affairs without the need for court intervention.
You can appoint different people for different areas — one person for financial matters, another for healthcare decisions — and you can specify clear instructions for each.
Bank accounts, investments, and property continue to be managed without legal roadblocks or frozen assets.
Your appointed person makes healthcare decisions based on your documented wishes, not a stranger's judgment.
Without an EPA, your family may face a lengthy and costly court process to gain authority to manage your affairs.
Prevents unauthorized transactions or mismanagement of your property, business interests, and savings.
Important note regarding property sales: An EPA does not grant authority to sell property or a business without separate court approval. Any sale of real estate or a business by the appointee still requires a court order, even with a valid EPA in place.
In Israel, the official EPA document must be written and submitted in Hebrew, through the Ministry of Justice's online system, and signed in the presence of an authorized Israeli attorney. The document itself cannot be written in English.
However, for many of our clients, English is essential — and we ensure that everyone involved fully understands the document, the process, and their responsibilities.
You must work with a lawyer licensed by the Ministry of Justice to draft and oversee the EPA. At this consultation, we discuss your wishes, who you want to appoint, and what authority each person will have.
Outline your wishes for financial decisions, medical care, and personal matters. You can appoint different people for different areas and specify conditions, limitations, and preferences in detail.
Appointees must be adults and mentally competent. It is recommended to appoint more than one person, and to specify clearly how decisions are made if appointees disagree. Choose people you genuinely trust.
You must be a competent adult (18+) at the time of signing. The document is signed in the presence of your attorney, who certifies your identity and capacity.
The signed EPA is submitted to the Administrator General's office for registration, making it legally binding. This step is essential — an unregistered EPA has no legal effect.
Make sure your appointees understand their role and responsibilities. We help with this by providing full explanations in English to all parties involved.
These are the most common errors people make when setting up an EPA — and how to avoid them.
Failing to specify clear guidance for financial or medical decisions leads to confusion and potential disputes between appointees and family members.
Someone unreliable, financially irresponsible, or emotionally unsuitable can cause serious problems. Choose carefully and consider appointing more than one person.
Life is unpredictable. A single appointee may not always be available when needed. Appointing multiple people ensures your needs are met in a timely manner.
When multiple appointees are named, you must specify who has the final say in case of disagreement — otherwise decisions can be delayed or contested.
Life circumstances change. Relationships end, people move, health situations evolve. Review your EPA periodically to ensure it still reflects your wishes.
Some people never tell their appointees they've been named. When the time comes, an unprepared appointee may not know what to do or where to find the document.
No. The official legal document must be written and submitted in Hebrew through the Ministry of Justice's online system. However, we provide full explanations, guidance, and translated summaries in English so that you and everyone involved fully understands the document.
Yes — as long as they understand their role and responsibilities. We ensure this by providing thorough explanations in English to all appointees, so they know exactly what is expected of them when the time comes.
Yes — we can prepare a summary translation for personal use, so everyone involved knows what has been written and agreed upon. This translation is for understanding purposes only and is not an official legal document.
An EPA only becomes active when a medical professional formally confirms that you are no longer capable of making your own decisions. Until that point, it has no effect — you remain fully in control of your own affairs.
Yes. An EPA can be revoked or amended at any time before it is activated, provided you are still mentally competent. Once activated due to incapacity, revocation becomes more complex and may require legal proceedings.
If you become incapacitated without an EPA, your family must apply to the court to appoint a guardian — a process that can be lengthy, expensive, and may not reflect your wishes. Meanwhile, bank accounts may be frozen, property transactions halted, and medical decisions left unclear.
Not at all. Accidents, illness, and unexpected medical events can happen at any age. An EPA is a practical legal safeguard for any adult who wants to ensure their affairs are managed according to their wishes, regardless of what the future holds.
If you are looking for an English-speaking attorney who can guide you and your family through this process with clarity, care, and professionalism — you are in the right place. Don't wait for an emergency.
+972-54-646-3701 · Bar Ilan 59, Ra'anana · tkucharlaw.com