Can a creditor attach a jointly held bank account in Israel?

When an Israeli court judgment creditor serves an attachment order on a bank through the Execution Bureau (*Lishka LeHotzaa Lepoal*), the bank is required to freeze the account immediately and report the balance to the Bureau. An attachment order does not distinguish between a sole account and a joint account — the legal default is to freeze the full balance registered to the debtor, regardless of whether a co-holder's name also appears. The bank has no authority to partially freeze or to determine ownership before reporting; that function belongs to the Execution Registrar (*Rasham HaHotzaa*) after the co-holder raises a challenge. The co-holder is notified by the bank or discovers the freeze when attempting a transaction, and must act promptly. The full mechanism for bank account attachment in Israel is set out in the dedicated guide.

The standard procedure for a co-holder to recover their funds is to file a written objection (*hitnaggadut*) at the Execution Bureau's clerk desk, attach documentary evidence of the source of the contested funds — payslips, bank transfer records, inheritance receipts, or other verifiable sources — and request a hearing before the Execution Registrar. The Registrar applies a rebuttable presumption of equal ownership: half to each account holder, absent contradicting evidence. If the co-holder can demonstrate that all or most of the funds originated from their own independent sources, the Registrar may order a larger proportion released. Foreign nationals who hold a joint Israeli bank account with an Israeli family member should be aware that a judgment against the Israeli holder can freeze their funds without prior notice. Maintaining a separate solely held account for personal savings eliminates this exposure entirely.

From the full guide: Bank Account Attachment in Israel: How Creditors Freeze Funds and How to Respond

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