We are the family of a crime victim. Who speaks for us?

The state prosecutes, but it does not represent you. The law gives the family rights at every stage: information, access to the indictment, a position before a plea bargain, a statement at sentencing, a position before early release. A lawyer of your own makes sure those rights are exercised, and do not stay on paper.

Written by the team at the law office of Adv. Aviad Hayat · updated 1.10.2026

052-642-4440

Under the Rights of Crime Victims Law, a family member of a person whose death the offence caused is a "crime victim" in their own right (section 2), with all the rights in the law. In murder and homicide the family is also entitled to the enhanced rights for serious violent offences: notice of every stage, the details of a plea bargain before it is signed, and notice of the release of the accused from detention.

Seven things to do in the first days

1Choose one contact person for the police and the prosecutionOne family member who receives the notices and passes them on. Every police station has a designated officer for crime victims, and the State Attorney has a victim assistance unit. Ask for their name and number.
2Register for the notification systemMost notices under the law are sent only to those who asked (section 8(c)). You register with the police notification system, and the family receives updates on arrest, release, transfer of the file to the prosecution and indictment.
3Write down everything you know, and pass it on through the lawyerWho saw, who heard, messages, earlier threats. Information the family holds is sometimes the missing evidence. Do not investigate yourselves and do not contact the suspect's family: it is dangerous, and it can hurt the case.
4Do not talk to the media without advicePublishing details from the investigation can damage evidence and serve the defence. Sometimes the right publication, at the right time, actually helps. That is a decision taken together, not in a conversation with a reporter in the hour of grief.
5Keep every document and every expenseDeath certificate, medical documents, burial and mourning expenses, lost income, psychological treatment. All of these are the basis for compensation in the criminal proceeding (section 77 of the Penal Law) and for a civil suit afterwards.
6Ask for the help you are entitled toThe eligibility committee for victims of homicide (the Ministries of Justice and Welfare and the police) assists with mourning expenses and support. The welfare hotline is 118. And for families of murder victims: state legal aid with no means test (Legal Aid Law, item 14 of the Schedule).
7Bring a lawyer of your own earlyAlready at the first detention hearings. The family has no standing as a party, but it may be present, and its lawyer passes a position, information and requests to the prosecution. Those who arrive represented, count.

These are general rules. In the first meeting we build a plan according to the stage of the case and what the family wants to achieve.

The family's rights, by law

1To be a "crime victim"When the offence caused death, the rights pass to the family in order: spouse, children, parents, siblings. "Family member" includes a common-law partner who lived with the deceased for two years. Someone not on the list can act through someone who is.Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 2 and 22
2To know what stage the case is atA right to information on the stage of the proceeding, and in serious violent offences also notices of the arrest and release of the suspect, of the transfer of the file to the prosecution, of an indictment and of the details of a plea bargain. Most notices only to those who registered.Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 8 and 10
3To see the indictmentA right to inspect and receive a copy of the indictment, or of the arrangement to close the case, also through the lawyer. Refusal only by the district attorney, for special reasons to be recorded.Rights of Crime Victims Law, section 9
4To state a position before a plea bargainBefore the prosecutor signs a plea bargain or an arrangement to close the case, a right to state a position. In murder and serious violent offences, orally or in writing before the district attorney. The court must verify this was done before approving the arrangement. It is not a veto, but it is a right that carries weight.Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 16 and 17
5A victim statement and a family reportThe family may submit a written statement on the harm and the damage, and the prosecutor must put it before the court at sentencing. In murder and homicide the court may also order a probation service report on the family of the deceased.Rights of Crime Victims Law, section 18; Criminal Procedure Law, section 187(c)
6Protection, privacy and a companionProtection from the accused and their associates in court. Address, workplace and phone are not disclosed in the investigation material and the indictment. A right to a companion at the police interview and at closed-door hearings.Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 6, 7, 14 and 15
7A position before early release and pardonA right to state a position before the parole board and before a decision on pardon. From 1.12.2026 the position before the parole board can also be given orally, under amendment 21 to the law.Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 19 and 20
8An appeal against closing the caseIf the police or the prosecution decided to close the case, a right to appeal within 60 days of the notice: to the district attorney, the State Attorney or the Attorney General, depending on who decided. A reasoned appeal, with the evidence that was not examined, reopens cases.Criminal Procedure Law, sections 64 and 65

A breach of a right under the law does not void the proceeding and is not a cause of action (section 21). So the rights are exercised in real time, or not at all.

From the first day to the sentence

Step 1The first daysInvestigation, arrest of suspects, detention hearings. The family may be present. The lawyer makes contact with the investigation team and the prosecution, and makes sure information flows in both directions.
Step 2The investigationMonths. Detention extensions, gathering of evidence, sometimes release of suspects to an alternative. The family receives notices under the law, and passes information through the lawyer. Here it is decided whether there will be an indictment, and for what.
Step 3Indictment or closureIf an indictment was filed: a right to inspect it. If the case was closed: an appeal within 60 days. The charge in the indictment (murder, aggravated murder, reckless homicide) sets the sentencing range, so it is the family's business.
Step 4Detention until the end of proceedingsA hearing on keeping the accused in detention throughout the trial. The family has no standing, but the prosecution receives its position and information on dangerousness. Notice of release on conditions reaches those who registered.
Step 5The trialTestimony, cross-examinations, sometimes years. The family's lawyer sits in every hearing, explains what happened, and prepares the family to testify if required. Closed-door hearings: with a companion.
Step 6A plea bargainIf the prosecution is considering an arrangement, the family is entitled to state a position before signing, before the district attorney. A reasoned written position, with the damage and the circumstances, affects the charge and the agreed sentence.
Step 7SentencingA victim statement, a report on the family, sentencing arguments and compensation. Murder: life imprisonment. Aggravated murder: mandatory life. Homicide with diminished responsibility: up to 20 years. Reckless homicide: up to 12 years. Causing death by negligence: up to three years.
Step 8AfterwardsAppeal (the state too can appeal the leniency of a sentence), an appended civil claim, the parole board, pardon. The family's rights do not end with the sentence.

Sources: Penal Law, sections 300 to 304; Rights of Crime Victims Law. At every stage there is a decision the family can influence, if it knows it is being taken.

Four decisions the family can influence

Closing the caseAppeal within 60 daysWhen there is no indictment, or it is filed under too light a charge. A reasoned appeal to the State Attorney or the Attorney General, with lines of investigation not exhausted. An extension of time can be requested.
The plea bargainA position before signingNot a veto, but a duty to hear. A position that comes with documents, with the damage and with the full picture of the family changes charges and years. The court checks that the position was heard.
The sentenceStatement, report and compensationA written victim statement, a probation service report on the family, and a compensation request: up to 258,000 shekels per offence, collected like a fine, without a separate suit.
Early releaseParole board and pardonA written position, and from 1.12.2026 also an oral one, before the parole board. A written position to the pardons department. Notice of the hearing reaches only those who registered, hence registration from day one.

Sources: Criminal Procedure Law, sections 64 and 65; Rights of Crime Victims Law, sections 17 to 20; Penal Law, section 77. Compensation in the criminal proceeding is not exhaustive: an appended civil claim is filed before the same judge after the judgment, and an ordinary tort suit is time-barred after seven years.

What we actually do

From the first dayContact with the investigation team and the prosecution, registration for notices, presence at detention hearings, and passing the family's information to the investigators in a way that serves the case.
Throughout the trialWe sit with you in every hearing, translate what happens in the courtroom into plain language, and prepare you to testify. When an arrangement is on the table, we draft the family's position and present it to the district attorney.
At sentencingThe victim statement, the request for a family report, and the compensation request with the documents. Afterwards: an appended civil claim, if it is right for the family.
Afterwards, and over the yearsA position at the parole board and on pardon, following appeals, and the media: only when it serves the family, and only with its consent. We have represented families in the most complex murder cases in Israel, from the first hearing to the Supreme Court.

The fee is set in advance, in writing. Families of murder victims also have state legal aid; we will explain the difference, and you decide.

052-642-4440

Questions families ask us

The state prosecutes. Why do we need a lawyer of our own?

The prosecutor represents the public, not you. They decide on charges, arrangements and sentence according to their own considerations. The family's lawyer makes sure your position is heard in time, that information arrives, and that the rights in the law are actually exercised.

Can we attend the detention hearings?

Yes. The hearings are open, unless closed. The family has no standing as a party, but its lawyer passes information and a position to the prosecution before the hearing, and sometimes the court lets them speak. In the cases we have handled, the family came to every hearing.

Can we stop a plea bargain?

There is no veto. There is a right to state a position before signing, and the court must verify it was heard. The High Court intervenes in an arrangement only for a legal flaw. In practice, a reasoned, documented position influences the prosecution far more than people think.

What is a victim statement?

A written document by the family on the harm and the damage, which the prosecutor must file with the court before sentencing. A probation service report on the family can also be requested. We write it with you, in your words.

Is there compensation?

The court may order the accused to pay compensation of up to 258,000 shekels per offence, collected by the Centre for Collection of Fines. Beyond that: an appended civil claim before the same judge, or an ordinary tort suit within seven years.

The case was closed. Is that the end?

No. There are 60 days to appeal the decision, and an extension can be requested. An appeal that brings evidence or lines of investigation that were not examined reopens cases. We represented a family that insisted the death was not a suicide, and the case became a murder case.

Is there free legal aid?

Yes. Families of murder victims (sections 300 to 301C) are entitled to state legal aid with no means test, in the criminal proceeding, the appeal against closure and the parole board. We represent privately, and will explain honestly what the difference is.

Will our names be published?

Address, workplace and phone are not disclosed in the investigation material. A ban on publishing identifying details can be requested. And with the media: we speak only when it serves you, and only with your consent.

What is the difference between murder and homicide?

Since 2019: murder (with intent or indifference) life imprisonment; aggravated murder mandatory life; homicide with diminished responsibility up to 20 years; reckless homicide up to 12 years; causing death by negligence up to three years. The charge is set in the indictment, so the fight over it starts before.

How much does it cost?

You will know the fee exactly, in writing, before committing. By stage: investigation and detention, trial, sentencing and after. For eligible families we will also explain the state legal aid.

In the press, on representing families

15.12.2022 · ynetMor Tuizer killed by mistaken identity: representing the family 13.12.2021 · ynetMaxim Tal convicted unanimously of Maria's murder. The office represented the family 26.11.2019 · Channel 13"Had the police acted faster and firmer, we would not be here today"All mentions, by date

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