Continuing Power of Attorney in Israel: Planning for the Future
A continuing power of attorney is a document in which a person appoints in advance who will make decisions for them if they can no longer do so themselves. In Israel it is prepared before a lawyer authorized by the Administrator General and deposited with the Administrator General.
What is a continuing power of attorney?
A continuing power of attorney allows an adult to plan who will handle their affairs in the future, and how, if they can no longer understand and make decisions about the matters covered by the document. When preparing it, the person must understand its meaning and consequences. It can cover personal, medical and property matters, all or some of them, according to the person’s needs.
How is the document planned?
The process considers who should be appointed, the scope of their roles and the instructions the person wishes to give. The document is prepared before a lawyer who has completed the required training and has no personal interest in it. Depositing it with the Administrator General is a separate step whose completion should be confirmed.
It is useful to bring a list of wishes and questions to the meeting: who is available to help, how you would prefer your daily life to be managed, and what should be explained about your property and family needs. No single form suits every family.
Adv. Israel Paz is authorized by the Administrator General at the Israeli Ministry of Justice to prepare continuing powers of attorney. The document is prepared and signed at a meeting at one of our offices in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Modi’in, and then deposited with the Administrator General.
Who is a continuing power of attorney for?
Any adult who understands the meaning of the document can make one. It is particularly relevant for:
- People who want to decide for themselves who will manage their affairs, instead of leaving it to a court.
- Spouses who wish to appoint each other, with a substitute representative alongside.
- Parents whose children live abroad or far away and who want to define in advance who is available to act.
- Business owners and partners whose business must keep running if they can no longer manage it.
- People who have received a medical diagnosis that may affect future decision-making, as long as they still understand the meaning of the document.
The document can only be made while the person still understands its meaning. Once that capacity is impaired, the remaining route is a court procedure.
Which areas can it cover?
- Property: bank accounts, assets, payments and obligations.
- Personal matters: residence, welfare, day-to-day care and personal needs.
- Medical matters: consent to medical treatment and access to medical information.
It can cover all areas or only some, and a different representative can be appointed for each.
Who can serve as a representative?
The representative must be an adult whom the person trusts, and must sign their consent to the role. The law restricts who may be appointed. For example, the lawyer who prepared the document cannot be appointed, and there are also limits on a paid caregiver. At the meeting we check that your chosen appointment meets the requirements.
How does the process work?
- A preliminary conversation: suitable representatives, the areas to include and the instructions that matter to you.
- A meeting with the lawyer, who explains the meaning of the document and drafts the instructions.
- Signing by the person making the power of attorney before the lawyer, and the representatives sign their consent.
- Online deposit of the document with the Administrator General, carried out by the lawyer.
- Confirmation of the deposit. The document is kept until it is needed.
Related guides
- Preparing for a continuing power of attorney meeting: what to bring and ask
- Bringing a continuing power of attorney into effect: a family checklist
- Continuing power of attorney and a will: what is the difference?
- Continuing Power of Attorney or Guardianship in Israel: What Is the Difference?
- Regular or Continuing Power of Attorney in Israel: What Is the Difference?
- How to Choose an Attorney Under a Continuing Power of Attorney
- The Informed Person in a Continuing Power of Attorney: Who and Why
- Advance Directives in a Continuing Power of Attorney: How to Write Them
- Medical Continuing Power of Attorney in Israel: What You Should Know
- Continuing Power of Attorney and Your Apartment: Sale, Rental and Mortgage
- Continuing Power of Attorney for Business Owners and Partners
- Continuing Power of Attorney When You or Your Children Live Abroad
- Continuing Power of Attorney for Parents: How to Talk About It as a Family
- Duties of the Attorney Under a Continuing Power of Attorney
- Cancelling or Changing a Continuing Power of Attorney in Israel
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Choosing representatives: together or separately?
You can appoint one representative, several representatives, and a substitute. When appointing several people, define how they will act and each person’s areas of responsibility. There is no single recommendation for every family: consider availability, trust and how disagreements would be handled.
At the meeting, ask who will be the point of contact, which decisions require coordination and how information will be shared. Consider what happens if an appointed person is unavailable. Discussing these situations in advance can help produce clear instructions, but cannot guarantee that disagreements will not arise.
Property instructions and significant transactions
A continuing power of attorney is not unlimited authority. Certain actions require express authorization, while others may require approval under the law. Before including instructions about a gift, transferring money or a real estate transaction, check the applicable requirements and wording.
Do not rely on a generic online example. Explain your specific wishes and circumstances to the lawyer, and ask about the practical effect and limits of the arrangement.
Does depositing a continuing power of attorney bring it into effect?
No. Once the deposit has been approved, the document is held by the Israeli Administrator General. Before the appointed representative may act under it, the conditions set for its entry into effect must be met, and a declaration and the required supporting documents must be submitted to the Administrator General, as applicable.
What is the difference between a continuing power of attorney and guardianship?
A continuing power of attorney lets a person choose in advance who will handle their affairs and give that person instructions while they still understand the decision. A guardian is appointed through a legal process when a person needs assistance with matters they cannot decide for themselves. Which arrangement is appropriate depends on the person’s condition and needs.
Who may prepare a continuing power of attorney?
As a general rule, the document is prepared before a lawyer who has completed the required training and has no personal interest in the power of attorney. At the time it is prepared, the person granting it must understand its meaning, purposes and consequences.
Advice and planning with Paz & Co. Law Office
To understand the options and prepare in an orderly way, contact our office. You can start with a list of questions and discuss at the meeting which instructions and arrangements fit your needs.
Official source: The Administrator General — preparing and depositing a continuing power of attorney (Hebrew). This general information was reviewed in September 2026 and does not replace advice tailored to your circumstances.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a continuing power of attorney?
A document in which a competent adult appoints in advance an attorney to make property, personal or medical decisions on their behalf if they can no longer understand and decide in the future.
Who witnesses the signing?
A lawyer trained by the Administrator General. A medical-only power of attorney can also be signed before a doctor, social worker, psychologist or registered nurse. In all cases it must be deposited with the Administrator General.
When does it come into force?
When the grantor can no longer understand the matter for which it was given, and for property matters also under other conditions set in the document. The attorney files a notice with the Administrator General.
Can it be cancelled or changed?
It can be revoked at any time by notice. After deposit, advance directives can be added, but replacing the attorney requires a new power of attorney.
Why is it better than guardianship?
You choose in advance who will decide and how, without court proceedings at a time of crisis.
Who is authorized to prepare a continuing power of attorney?
A lawyer who has completed the training of the Administrator General at the Israeli Ministry of Justice. Adv. Israel Paz is authorized to prepare continuing powers of attorney.
When should it be made?
While the person still understands the meaning of the document. Once that understanding is impaired it can no longer be made, and a court procedure to appoint a guardian is required.
How many representatives can be appointed?
One or several, as well as a substitute. When several are appointed, the document states whether they act jointly or separately, and in which areas.
Can the representative sell the apartment?
Only as provided in the document and subject to the law. Certain acts require express authorization in the power of attorney or court approval.
Does a continuing power of attorney replace a will?
No. It applies during the person’s lifetime and lapses on death. Distribution of the estate is governed by a will or by the Succession Law.
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