Hello, My rent cheque was bounced, and my landlord filed a case against me in Sharjah Court. I received a fine of 2,000 AED, which was later reduced to 1,000 AED upon appeal. Does this case count as a criminal conviction under UAE law, or was it handled as a civil matter? If I apply for a U.S. visa, will I need to submit court records under the requirement for applicants with past convictions?

Hello, I have a criminal case for fighting, and it is now in prosecution. The decision shows “a temporary matter” as both parties are accused. What does it mean? I have not received a call from the prosecution yet.

Hello, Can I stay home if my boss doesn’t pay my salary on time?

Hello, I am planning to change to another company and I am waiting for the offer. The visa from the current company is going to end in 2 months. Should I inform them about my leaving? I haven’t received any offer yet, so I didn’t inform them, and they’re asking about the renewal every day. Is it mandatory to inform them 2 months in advance?

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 My current landlord advised that they had withdrawn the cheque and presented it to the new landlord.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.

Hi. Hope you are doing well. We need to find out the details of the directors of a company based out of Sharjha Airport International Free Zone. We have a procedural order from SIAC for the same as well. Can this be done? We will physically be present in the UAE from tomorrow. Happy to meet physically and discuss this as well.

Good evening, I have received the judgment for my civil financial case. I intend to appeal this judgment, but I'm considering changing my lawyer as I am not entirely satisfied with their work. I would like to know if this is possible and what steps need to be taken. Thank You!

My cousin who lives in Dubai took around AED 280000 from me on December 2023 for business and he told me that within one month he would return the money back with profits. Now it's been almost a year he has not returned my money back. I have no written contract. The only proof I have is WhatsApp chats, videos, and voice messages of him that he received money from me and that he would return it back within one month. In August 2023 I told him that if you don't return my money, then I would hire a lawyer and do a case. Then his father returned almost 20% of the amount back in August 2023 and told me the remaining amount I would receive from them by the end of November or December 2023. But now they are not giving me the money and telling me to go to the police or hire a lawyer, file a case do whatever I want to do. Kindly please advise me if hiring a lawyer in Dubai will be helpful or not. Will I be able to recover my money in Dubai in a legal way in such a case?

Hi, If I buy a building, do I have the right to file a case against a tenant who has outstanding rent due from the old owner?

Dear Sir/Madam, We are a company located in Ras Al Khaimah. We have been working with a company in Dubai that is not paying us on time. The current balance due is 142K and we have all the necessary documents (invoices, balance sheet) with their stamp. Can we file a case against them? Note: We also have two pending cheques from their company, but it looks like they will bounce.

We received a cheque which has now bounced. We have tried for over a month and a half now to get a new cheque from the person, and every day he says the next day. We need the money now. We have been to the police station, and they said they can not do anything as the reason the cheque bounced is "Insufficient funds." We have been to Al Barsha - Dubai Courts, and they said there is nothing they can do about it. We are not sure what we can do. We need the money asap to pay our kids' school fees, let alone all the interest we have lost.

Hello I joined my new company on February 26, 2025. Upon joining the new company, I asked HR if it was free to join the company, and she said yes. After working with them for 1 month, I experienced a salary delay, and I had to go to the office to ask why there was a delay in my salary. That is when the HR told me she deducted my whole salary to recover the transfer fee. Now my question is, who is supposed to pay for the transfer fee, the employee or the employer?

Is it possible for a foreigner to get a divorce here in Dubai?

Hello, I want to inquire regarding my leave privileges. I am now 11 months in my company. How many leaves am I privileged to? Based on Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations and its executive regulations, you are entitled to a paid weekly rest for not less than one day, as specified in the work contract or the work regulation. The Council of Ministers may increase the weekly rest day stipulated in this article. The Decree-Law and its executive regulations also stipulate that you are entitled to an annual leave with full pay as follows: - Thirty days for each year of your extended service. - Two days per month in respect of any employee with more than six months and less than one year of service. - Leave for parts of the last year of your service in case it is terminated before you use your annual leave balance. Now my question is: do I have 22 days I can use? Can someone explain to me in detail? Thank you!

Hello, Can I sell branded replica watches online, on Facebook Marketplace, etc.? Not in a physical store, just online.

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!

Dear Respected Lawyers, Subject: Request for Legal Advice Regarding Unlawful Practices by a Debt Collection Agency I would greatly appreciate your advice and guidance regarding a troubling issue my colleague is facing with a collection agency. The company has been contacting the employer, urging them to ask my colleague to get in touch with them regarding a supposed liability. This claim is related to a 15-year-old closed dispute with a bank credit card, and the issue seems to stem from outdated and inaccurate information on the AECB report. Our main concerns are as follows: Unauthorized Access: The company is accessing her AECB report without her consent. She has never given permission for them to retrieve or view her personal financial information. How is it possible for a third-party agency to openly access and track AECB reports, especially for a dispute that was resolved 15 years ago?

I was evicted from my apartment after living there for five years. My landlord informed me a year in advance that the lease would not be renewed because he intended to sell the property. Prior to this, he attempted to impose a rent increase that was not compliant with RERA regulations, which I refused to accept. He then served me with an official Dubai Court eviction notice, citing the need to take back the property for sale. Five months after I moved out, I discovered the property was rented out at a much higher price. Upon further investigation, I found that the ownership was transferred as a "Gift" rather than a sale. This makes it seem like the eviction was only to raise the rent rather than a genuine need to sell. Do I have a valid case for wrongful eviction against my landlord? Also, under Dubai law, does transferring ownership as a "Gift" hold the same legal grounds as selling in justifying eviction?

Hello, My ex-wife has abused me in chat and called me the following: illiterate, beggar, and said that I don’t have [------]. She called me a bad parent and a bad son. Can I file a cyberbullying, defamation, or abuse case against her? What are my options?

Hi I'm an Irish citizen and a resident of the United Kingdom. I got investment fraud in Dubai. I invested money into a business with a Pakistani national guy in March 2024 via bank transfer into his business account. Now he's giving back the money which I invested in business after 9 months. He's preparing a letter from a local lawyer to kick me out of the business. I do not have any other option than to take out at least my money. But it's unfair to me that he used my money in business and took all the advantage. Some people say to me that if you claim money or take legal action against him, it will take too much time and I need to travel to Dubai to appear in court because it is a civil matter. But I'm not a resident. How can I follow the civil case there? That's why my partner knows that I can not do anything and this case keeps running long time and in the end nothing happens. But I'm thinking that I will submit a complaint through my embassy and I also have a solicitor in the United Kingdom.

Dear Lawyers, My relative lost his wife during childbirth due to clear medical negligence, as stated in the report from the DHA medical committee. He had to relocate to India due to the situation and is currently working there. Please guide us on the steps to take for justice and compensation.

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.

We received a cheque which has now bounced. We have tried for over a month and a half now to get a new cheque from the person, and every day he says the next day. We need the money now. We have been to the police station, and they said they can not do anything as the reason the cheque bounced is "Insufficient funds." We have been to Al Barsha - Dubai Courts, and they said there is nothing they can do about it. We are not sure what we can do. We need the money asap to pay our kids' school fees, let alone all the interest we have lost.

Hello I joined my new company on February 26, 2025. Upon joining the new company, I asked HR if it was free to join the company, and she said yes. After working with them for 1 month, I experienced a salary delay, and I had to go to the office to ask why there was a delay in my salary. That is when the HR told me she deducted my whole salary to recover the transfer fee. Now my question is, who is supposed to pay for the transfer fee, the employee or the employer?

Is it possible for a foreigner to get a divorce here in Dubai?

Hello, I want to inquire regarding my leave privileges. I am now 11 months in my company. How many leaves am I privileged to? Based on Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations and its executive regulations, you are entitled to a paid weekly rest for not less than one day, as specified in the work contract or the work regulation. The Council of Ministers may increase the weekly rest day stipulated in this article. The Decree-Law and its executive regulations also stipulate that you are entitled to an annual leave with full pay as follows: - Thirty days for each year of your extended service. - Two days per month in respect of any employee with more than six months and less than one year of service. - Leave for parts of the last year of your service in case it is terminated before you use your annual leave balance. Now my question is: do I have 22 days I can use? Can someone explain to me in detail? Thank you!

Hello, Can I sell branded replica watches online, on Facebook Marketplace, etc.? Not in a physical store, just online.

I have received a judgment in my favor from RDC that awarded me legal fees. However, RDC says that legal fees do not mean lawyer fees; they are RDC fees only. Is this correct?

Good afternoon, Thank you for your time. The public prosecution appealed my judgment (a fine that I satisfactorily cleared) and requested increasing the fine. Can you please explain what happens during a criminal case appeal hearing for me as a defendant? Will I be asked questions? Is the hearing just for the Public Prosecution to present their appeal to the judge, and I do not need to give a response? Thank you again for your time.

Dear lawyers, The new employee will start on June 1, 2025. However, he would like to open a new bank account in the UAE thus asking to provide the salary certificate mentioning his salary in AED and if possible not mentioning the start date. Legally, can the company provide such a certificate?

I received a termination letter from my company on January 31st, 2025, with a one-month notice period, stating my last working day as February 28th, 2025. The reason given for the termination is "considering the current business scenario, the company has considered measures to reorganize the business." Could this be considered arbitrary dismissal? Am I entitled to any compensation or benefits from the company as a result of this termination?

By checking in Al Adheed, I have found there is a marital matter case against me in Dubai Courts. There is a hearing date for next week and the time mentioned in the case status with a link for an online hearing. However, I have not received any message from Dubai courts regarding this by mail or phone. I have all contact details updated with EID. In this case, what should I do? I don’t know what the case is about. Should I hire a lawyer or I can attend the hearing by myself? Please do suggest options.