Will Israel's National Insurance pay child support if my ex stops paying?

The Maintenance (Assurance of Payment) Law 5732-1972 exists precisely so that a child does not go without support while a parent refuses to pay. Once you hold a maintenance judgment from the Family Court or a religious court, you can present it to the National Insurance Institute, which pays you a guaranteed monthly sum capped by regulation. The Institute then becomes the creditor and chases the defaulting parent on its own account through the Enforcement and Collection Authority (Hotzaa LaPoal), recovering what it advanced. This mechanism is separate from the support order itself, which is explained in the guide on child support in Israel. The advance is income-tested, so a recipient who earns above the threshold may receive a reduced amount or nothing.

One condition matters greatly for foreign families: the advance is generally available only where the custodial parent and the children are residents of Israel, because the scheme runs through the national social-security system. A custodial parent living abroad usually cannot draw the Bituach Leumi advance and instead enforces the judgment directly through the Execution Office, including wage attachment and a stay-of-exit order against the defaulting parent. For a resident parent, the first payment typically arrives within about 45 days of filing a valid judgment, with monthly payments on the 28th thereafter. Where the court order is larger than the Institute's ceiling, the recipient claims the advance from Bituach Leumi and pursues the remaining gap through ordinary enforcement.

From the full guide: Child Support in Israel: A Guide for International Parents

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