Rabbinical Court Issues Binding Rules to Rapidly Tackle Parental Alienation
The directives impose strict short deadlines, define parental alienation as emotional abuse, authorize custody transfers, allow courts to order private therapy paid by the alienating parent.
Overview
- Great Rabbinical Court President Chief Rabbi Dovid Yosef signed and published binding procedural directives that take effect immediately and require uniform handling of urgent child-contact and protection claims.
- The protocol forces fast decisions in urgent cases by requiring a hearing within seven days or a written ruling within 72 hours and tight deadlines for follow-up submissions and expert reports.
- Parental alienation is explicitly defined as direct emotional harm to the child and the directives instruct judges to intervene decisively when one parent turns a child against the other.
- Courts are authorized to use a wide range of remedies and sanctions, including contempt proceedings, fines payable to the state or injured party, reduction or exemption of child support, reimbursement of legal-aid costs, temporary placement or custody transfer, and orders for private therapeutic treatment borne by the alienating parent.
- Regional rabbinical court heads must personally oversee implementation and send semiannual reports on deviations to the Great Rabbinical Court, a change that raises administrative demands on courts and could increase use of private therapy and legal-aid cost recovery.