Common-Law Marriage

Our world is filled with couples that live together, love each other and maintain a steady relationship without tying the knot and getting officially married.

The reasons behind such a decision are diverse: Sometimes one of the parties is going through a divorce, sometimes people prefer to avoid such commitment or merely wish to take their time, and sometimes they simply face a technical difficulty that prevents them from marrying.

The law in Israel states that a Jewish person cannot marry a non-Jewish person and therefore such wedding ceremonies have to take place abroad – mostly in Cyprus in a process that involves heavy costs but most importantly – it requires the couple to part ways temporarily because the Israeli citizen has to leave his/her spouse abroad and then invite them back to Israel.

This is the standard protocol based on the notion that the Ministry of Interior has to examine the very essence of the relationship and determine whether it is based on an honest personal commitment between two people that love each other.

It may take months and quite often it will leave you in a very unpleasant state of mind.

Therefore, the solution to which many couples resort to is in fact the common-law marriage:

The state of Israel recognizes the right of an Israeli citizen to live with a foreign common-law partner, allowing the spouse’s status to be regularized.

However, the decision makers can mount significant challenges in order to prevent abuse of the procedure and that’s why the professional advice of an experienced lawyer is of utmost importance in such cases.

mistakes are costly and may eventually lead to deportation or an unnecessary trial.

In some cases we have found that people tend to drag on the common-law marriage even when their personal life and relationship is no longer what it used to be.

They do so because they are afraid of losing their status and thus remaining committed to a relationship that harms them, their spouse and their children (if there are any).

We tell you this because it’s important to remember that in many cases it is quite possible to keep your legal status in Israel even after your relationship dissolves: We recommend you consult with an expert attorney that will guide you through the entire process and enable you to maximize your chances to remain in Israel even after your relationship had fallen apart.