I am going to file for a no-fault divorce soon. We got married in Dubai, and we own a studio apartment jointly. I have paid AED 150,019 and have bank statements to prove. As per the Land Department, my ownership is 49.91%. Will I get this share as per the current value, or will the court determine who paid what amounts? Thanks

Hello lawyers, Could you please clarify the regulations regarding working hours for nursing/breastfeeding mothers in the UAE during Ramadan? How many hours are they entitled to?

Hello, "Late renewal charges" for my freezone license are adding up. Last year, the free zone refused to waive the late renewal charges, but then agreed to do it. Still, it had to be approved by the free zone director and then by the Dafza general director, which took about a month. It was a month during which I had an office this time. Still, no license to operate, and for 2025, the accountant is late because he promised to deliver the audit report in early January, and then was away on pilgrimage. I found out this week, I also have a medical certificate because I am not in condition to work and can renew it by any doctor in the UAE right now, so I have to pay a 6-month fine, which is a total of AED 6000. The free zone this time does not want to waive off anything and blames me for the situation. Is there a way that I can pay and dispute the late renewal fines later? Or paying means I accept and can't dispute? It is clear that I was wronged initially, even for the lease, which they partially admitted to last year.

Dear lawyer I seek help on whether I can return to the UAE or not. I exited the UAE on an outpass due to overstaying. I have been patient for more than 7 months. I was advised that I am able to return to the UAE. The process was successful, and I traveled to the UAE, but I was denied entry to the UAE at immigration. Why? I was only overstaying, I hadn't been a criminal, just my boss refused to do a visa for me. After overstaying, my employers traveled to their country. I had no idea how to resolve the issue other than to get an outpass and go back home.

My current landlord has sold the building I live in, and my rent cheque was due to be presented on April 1st. I contacted the new landlord and the current landlord about my rent cheque. My current landlord advised that they had withdrawn the cheque and presented it to the new landlord. However, the new landlord has ignored three requests for clarity on how to pay my rent, which is now overdue. What are my options here? I am attempting to pay the rent, but they are unresponsive.

Dear Sir/Madam, I work as a stockbroker at a company, but I want to quit because it is not a good job. I have been working there for over four months. If I ask to leave, the company demands 5000 AED and insists that I complete six months before they agree to my resignation, otherwise, they will ask for the money. What should I do?

My landlord was asking for an unjustified rent increase of 9K, while the RERA calculator showed 3K. He was threatening to go through the Rent Valuation process, however, he only gave me a notice period of 83 days. According to Dubai Decree No 43 of 2013 and Law No 33 of 2008, landlords are required to provide a 90-day notice period before making any changes to the rental contract, including increasing the rent amount. Failure to comply with this notice period entitles the tenant to refuse the rent increase. As the current contract is coming to an end by the end of next week, I have made several attempts to reach out to my landlord and his real estate agent to reiterate my interest in extending the contract and collecting the rental cheques at the old prices. Also, I kindly requested that they provide me with the contract as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I have not received any response thus far, and considering that this week is a holiday week, I do not know what to do. Sincerely,

Dear Sir/Madam, If an employee is still on probation period, can the employer terminate the contract with 14 days' notice even if the employment contract states 30 days' notice? The company is under MOHRE.

Dear Sir/Madam, I reside in a Dubai community, and my tenancy renewal is approximately 95 days away. The landlord is proposing a 15% rent increase, primarily based on rents listed on propertyfinder.ae, claiming that my current rent is 25% below market rates. However, the RERA Rental Index indicates "no increase in the rental value" as my rent is at the top of the quoted range, prompting me to reject the proposed increase. The real estate broker he hired at the time of my move-in recently contacted me, serving as an intermediary, mentioning that he would conduct a DLD valuation, likely resulting in a higher value. However, he is attempting to negotiate first, considering the cost of around 2500 AED. If we were to dispute, is the RERA Index Calculator the sole authoritative source for determining rent increases? Additionally, if the DLD valuation is accepted, what is the potential maximum increase?

Hello, I have a commercial execution case for the recovery of payments. I sent a notification to the local owner (100% ownership of the LLC), but I see that the company has closed its office and its license has expired. How can the courts get the money ordered in the judgment? Thank you!

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

If a landlord has granted a power of attorney to another individual to handle their property and litigation, can the PoA holder be held liable for an execution order, especially where a property has been sold and the owner owes money to a previous tenant for a RERA case? The proceeds of sale have been transferred into accounts held in the name of the PoA holder.

In the UAE, I joined an IT company as an IT salesperson. I signed an NDA stating that I will not join any competitor company. After my visa cancellation from that company, can I still join any IT company according to UAE law?

I am going to file for a no-fault divorce soon. We got married in Dubai, and we own a studio apartment jointly. I have paid AED 150,019 and have bank statements to prove. As per the Land Department, my ownership is 49.91%. Will I get this share as per the current value, or will the court determine who paid what amounts? Thanks

Hello lawyers, Could you please clarify the regulations regarding working hours for nursing/breastfeeding mothers in the UAE during Ramadan? How many hours are they entitled to?

Dear Lawyers, There is a JV agreement between Party A and Party B. An Addendum was made in which Party C was added and subcontracted all its work to both Party A and Party B, forming a wholly separate contract. There is an arbitration clause in the JV agreement. Is Party C bound by that clause? DIAC.

Dear Sir/Madam, What happens if an employee resigns after 1 year and 4 months of service? Are they eligible for gratuity and annual leave?

Dear Sir/Madam, I've been working at our company for more than 8 years. Is it legal to resign if my visa was just renewed last March 2024? My reason for resigning is that the owner hasn't given me a salary since March.

Dear Sir/Madam, Seeking legal help for a dispute with a shipping company. They are holding onto our goods because, during the Dubai floods, they were closed and refused delivery. We urgently need legal help to resolve this, as the storage charges are increasing each day. Can you please advise on how to proceed?

Dear Sir/Madam, I am an expatriate in Dubai. I joined a company in Dubai, and my contract started in November 2023. It is a limited contract. Due to some issues with the management, they informed me that I would have to leave the company in March 2024, which I did. Upon asking them to cancel my visa so I can return home, they said I have to pay around 5000 AED towards the visa expenses. I have asked them for the exact amount, but they haven’t provided it yet. My passport is with them. I would like to check whether I have to pay the visa expense to them. Since I am not aware of the formalities, I haven’t approached the Labour Department to get my passport back to leave. I fear they may cause more trouble if I initiate a complaint. I would like to seek your valuable advice on how to proceed to claim my passport and exit UAE. Please help!