Immigrating with a child abroad: How a mother convinced the court to allow her 15-year-old son to move
The Haifa Family Court allowed a mother to emigrate abroad with her 15-year-old son, establishing a mechanism to maintain contact with the father. The mother proved a genuine need for the move, and the judge ruled that the father was responsible for the reduced contact due to neglecting visitation arrangements.
The Haifa Family Court allowed a mother to emigrate abroad with her 15-year-old son, rejecting the father's opposition. The ruling, given by Judge Tal Peperni, was based on the mother's proof of a genuine need for the move, which included a detailed plan with flight tickets, a letter from her husband's workplace at a high-tech company, and potential schools. An expert opinion commissioned by the court identified risks during the sensitive adolescence stage but determined that the move was nonetheless the right thing for the boy. The judge dismissed the father's claim of parental alienation, ruling that the father himself admitted to neglecting visitation arrangements. The ruling includes a detailed mechanism for maintaining contact, including video calls, three visits per year in Israel, and sharing flight costs. The article incorporates commentary from attorney Revital Levin, who represented the mother, and presents the process as a model for handling sensitive immigration cases.