The Unique Family Law in the State of Israel

In the State of Israel, the unique family law derives from ancient Jewish law, halakhic traditions, and an extensive legal tradition spanning many centuries and locations. This comparative study covers topics such as issues subject to modification, the right of a minor to independent status, extramarital relationships, and joint property.

“Professor of Law and lawyer Yitshak Cohen has produced a highly readable work explaining the unique circumstances that resulted in very complicated legal procedures, especially in the area of family law, in the State of Israel. Seeking to address the Israeli law’s weaknesses on its own terms, he provides penetrating discussions of various family acts in other Western democracies. Cohen gives us lively discussions of inequities and suggested solutions in the course of his analysis for many legal systems. This work advocates using common sense and fairness as the preferred methods to overhaul dysfunctional procedures. This work achieves both clarity and accuracy; it will be of value to lay and legal readers alike. This important contribution deserves to be the starting point for serious study of the area of marital jurisprudence.”

—Herbert W. Basser, Professor emeritus, Queen’s University, Canada