Dear Lawyers, I signed a Form F with a buyer for the sale of my house as we were planning to leave the country. The contract was signed about a month ago, but the handover is not until August. Due to personal circumstances changing, we are no longer leaving Dubai and would like to cancel Form F. The Form F contract stipulates that we have to pay the buyer 10% of the purchase value. The real estate agent is now claiming that we also have to pay the buyer's real estate commission and the conveyancing fee. Our understanding is that the 10% penalty is the only penalty. Which is correct, and what are the next steps to dispute this? Also, is there any way to dispute the 10% itself under the law due to personal circumstances changing?

I got an offer letter from Al-Haldin Gulf Construction & Petroleum LLC. Can you please advise about the company?

Hello, I have a tenant who is always late with their payment. Their renewal was supposed to be last December 2023. Currently, they have not signed any new contract, provided any new cheques, and have stayed for three months from December until now without paying rent. Additionally, I just discovered that they have sublet the apartment with partitions, which is clearly stated as not allowed in the old contract. Please let me know what should I do legally!

Dear Concern, How long will it take to receive the cancellation paper from my previous employer? My last working day at my current company will be on April 7, 2024.

Hi, We sent a renewal notice to our Dubai-based tenant 84 days before his contract renewal, with a 10% increase in rent. The tenant neither agreed nor disagreed with the proposed rent and replied on the day of renewal that he wouldn't be paying the proposed rent. Due to the argument, the landlord decided to reduce the rent, but the tenant has not yet renewed his contract. It has been 12 days since his contract expired. Kindly suggest what could be done in this matter.

Hello, I have given a POA to a lawyer to fight my case, but now I got to know his professional license expired 20 days ago. Is it allowed for him to represent me in court with an expired license?

Hello, An investor has a residence visa valid until February 2027; however, he wishes to close the company before the current license expires in December 2025. Can the investor still legally reside in the UAE until the residence visa expires?

My new employer is not changing my visa status and refuses to provide cancellation papers, especially when I don’t recall signing any cancellation documents and haven’t received my gratuity yet. How can I register a complaint against my employer for holding my passport after visa cancellation? I had completed my one-month notice period and followed all procedures properly when I resigned. I'm currently working in a free zone company.

Hello, I had a case regarding fraud by technical means, and we did a tanazul. It was attested and submitted to the court, but the case still hasn’t been dropped and is now with the public prosecution. What do I do now, as I need to travel urgently?

Hello, We are a building materials trading company based in the UAE. We supplied materials worth AED 50,000 to a customer around 8 months ago, but despite repeated follow-ups and reminders, no payment has been made to date. We would appreciate guidance on the following: 1. What legal action can we take to recover the amount? 2. What documents should we have ready (e.g., delivery notes, invoice, emails)? 3. How long does the legal process typically take in the UAE for such cases? 4. Is there a recommended timeline or deadline after which legal steps should be initiated? Thank you in advance for your advice!

Hi, I wanted to purchase a 2-bedroom apartment in JVC Dubai. I gave a 10% security deposit cheque to the seller. The price mentioned in the MoU is very high compared to other similar apartments in the same building. The bank’s valuation also came in very low. Since the valuation is much lower, how can I terminate the MoU and get my cheque back? The MoU ends on 1st October 2024. One of the articles in the MoU states: In the event that the Buyer fails to make the payments as agreed or fails to complete the transfer on the agreed date due to his own acts or omissions, the Seller has the right to terminate this agreement and retain the deposit, provided that the termination is due to a violation of the agreed terms, unless both parties agree amicably to different dates. I need help urgently.

Dear Sir/Madam, There is an employee who has been absent repeatedly. However, the company is not paying salaries on time, with regular delays in salary payments. Can the company terminate the employee without end-of-service or notice period compensation if the employee cites occasional salary delays as the reason for their absences?

If staff did not come back from vacation, after how long can we terminate him/her?

I was married in Abu Dhabi last year at the family court, is my marriage certificate valid in the US?

Regarding the probation period, when is the deadline for an employer to terminate me if the DOJ anniversary is Friday 2nd Feb? Will the six-month period end at midnight on the 1st, therefore completing six months, or can the employer still terminate on the 2nd? Appreciate any guidance provided.

Hi, I need some guidance regarding a property transaction that is not progressing as expected. My broker initiated a manual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between me (the Buyer) and the Seller, with an expiry date of 01/02/2025. Within this period, I successfully arranged the bank mortgage, property evaluation, and NOC. However, the broker started giving excuses, such as the seller being hospitalized. Later, the broker attempted to arrange a Power of Attorney (POA). However, after that, they started ignoring my messages and calls. It now seems like they no longer intend to proceed with me, and the MOU has already expired. Meanwhile, my bank EMI has already started, and I have paid two monthly installments. The broker is still unresponsive. I have raised multiple complaints through DLD RVS against the broker, but the response has been very slow and unsatisfactory. I’m feeling stuck and financially burdened. Please advise

Hey, I'm building my house in Dubai, and it was going well. I gave the contractor 420k as a first payment, and we both agreed that the rest would be in installments. Just two months ago, the contractor went off the grid, and I can't find him. All I have is a security cheque that bounced back when I went to the bank, as the signature doesn't match what's in the file. However, I learnt that he does have money, but not the amount that's in the cheque. What should I do now to get my money back? I need advice.

Hello, I was an employee of a major group in the UAE. Now, they have transferred me to another entity within the same group in the UAE. What happens to the benefits and allowances agreed upon by the first entity? Please provide the legal details related to this matter, along with the relevant statutory provisions.

Hello, A client of mine used our consulting services online and is refusing to pay. Despite multiple reminders, she still has not made the payment. What legal action can I take against her?

Hello, A juvenile case has been withdrawn by a third party, but the prosecution doesn’t want to end it. The child is out on bail. Now the case has moved to court. What steps should be taken next, or how will they handle it?

السلام عليكم أنا وزوجي أردنيين مقيمين في الإمارات. قدمت لطلاق الضرر وحضرنا جلستين مع التوجيه الأسري ولم تتنتهِ القضية. هل يستطيع زوجي نقل القضية لإكمالها في الأردن مع رفضي؟ أريد إكمالها في الإمارات. وشكراً

السلام عليكم، أنا مواطنة وتزوجت من مصري في مصر وتم إثبات الزواج في مصر بختم الخارجية الإماراتية وختم السفارة المصرية في مصر وختم الخارجية المصرية. لدي ٣ أطفال وتقدمت بإثبات الزواج في الشارقة وتم الرفض. كيف أثبت الزواج في الإمارات؟

مرحبًا، أعمل مهندسًا في شركة منطقة حرة في ستوديو سيتي بدبي منذ عام 2019 حتى الآن. تم إصدار تأشيرتي من أبو ظبي. اعتبارًا من مارس 2020، قاموا بتخفيض راتبي وأصدروا خطابًا يفيد بأنه تم تخفيض راتبي من 20 أبريل إلى 20 أغسطس بنسبة 25٪. لكن حتى بعد 20 أغسطس، لم يدفعوا لي راتبي الأولي فحسب، بل تم تخفيض راتبي كثيرًا وبشكل غير منتظم. يبلغ إجمالي المبلغ المعلق أكثر من 95,000 درهم إماراتي حتى الآن. كما أن الشركة لم تدفع تكاليف تجديد التأمين واضطررت إلى الحصول على التأمين الطبي الخاص بي وكفالة تأشيرة زوجتي وتأمينها. لقد قررت الاستقالة وإلغاء تأشيرتي على الفور بسبب عرض عمل جديد. هل من الأفضل رفع القضية أثناء التأشيرة أم بعد تغيير التأشيرة؟ في غضون كم يومًا يجب أن أرفع قضية بعد تغيير تأشيرتي وإلغاء تصريح العمل الخاص بي؟ يرجى تقديم رأيك حول كيفية المضي قدما. ما هي فرص حصولي على رواتبي المعلقة بالكامل ومكافأة نهاية الخدمة؟

السلام عليكم، في حال تقدمت للخلع بسبب الإيذاء النفسي والهجر داخل المنزل واستمرار الصراع، هل أحصل على حضانة الأطفال؟ وما الذي أحصل عليه فيما يتعلق بمصاريف الأطفال؟ علمًا بأن لدي أربعة أطفال. وكم يستغرق حكم الخلع؟

هل من القانوني أن يقوم صاحب العمل بإنهاء عملي بعد الاستقالة؟ لدي نسخة موقعة من استقالتي من الموارد البشرية ومديري المباشر مؤرخة تقريبًا قبل 20 يومًا من خطاب الإنهاء الذي يذكر فيه أنني خرقت العقد وفقًا للمادة 120.