Does Israeli law require couples to attend family dispute resolution before divorce?

The Family Dispute Resolution Law 5775-2014 (Hok L'Yishuv Sichsuchim Mishpachtiyim) changed how almost every Israeli divorce begins. Instead of letting one spouse race to court with a contested claim, the law channels the parties first into a request for a dispute resolution process (bakashah l'yishuv sichsuch). Once that request is filed, the court refers the couple to its assistance unit (yechidat siyua), which schedules up to four information and mediation sessions led by social workers and family professionals at no charge. A statutory stay applies during this window, typically about 45 days plus a short additional period, in which neither side can file divorce, custody, support, or property claims elsewhere. The aim is to lower the temperature and explore a negotiated resolution before adversarial litigation locks in.

For a foreign or mixed-nationality couple, two points matter most. First, the rule shapes the well-known forum question between the Family Court and the Rabbinical Court, because the spouse who files the MAHUT request usually earns the right to choose where the substantive case proceeds once the stay ends, which can be decisive on issues like property division. Second, attending the sessions is mandatory in form but you cannot be forced to settle, so a party who genuinely needs a court order, for example to prevent a child being removed from Israel, can ask the court for urgent interim relief despite the stay. Timing and the wording of the request are strategic, so getting advice before you file is valuable. Our full guide to divorce in Israel for foreign nationals walks through the whole sequence.

From the full guide: Divorce in Israel for Foreign Nationals: Everything You Must Know

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