Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

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, 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?

Hi I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest. My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right? Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat. Please answer me. I want to know my rights. Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know. They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

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?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

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?

Hello, I came from Dubai to India on emergency leave, but unfortunately, I did not return. It has now been 12 years. Can I go to Dubai on a new visa? I have already received a new employment visa from another employer. Can I return to Dubai, or will there be any problems with UAE immigration? Please advise!

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

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.

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.

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!

Hello, Kindly advise how to renew a company's trade license without an Ejari when there is a disagreement with the landlord over the rental contract.

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Hello, How many days do I need to wait for company cancellation following resignation and one-month notice?

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, 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!

I own a property in Dubai and we issued a 90-day notice to the tenant to advise of the rent increase. The tenant accepted and confirmed they would be renewing the tenancy agreement. Before they signed the new tenancy agreement they moved out without giving any notice. What are my rights in this scenario?

Dear Lawyers, If I want to close a cheque execution case that I opened against someone, will my fees be refunded to me?

Dear Lawyers, I am a 50% partner in a company. I had given a 2M AED loan to the company about 10 years ago. There are expert reports and bank records to prove the loan. The company does not have any bank balances or assets. Should I start a lawsuit against the company and demand 2M AED, or should I start a lawsuit against the other 50% partner and demand 1M AED? One benefit of suing the company is that I can obtain an acknowledgment of debt, and later in an execution case, I can issue a certificate of solvency to have the other partner arrested. However, suing the other 50% partner directly would include their name in the executive writ. Please guide me! (I believe all necessary legal information is provided here. If something is missing, I can provide additional details here.)

Dear Sir/Madam, I want to withdraw a case against someone who harassed me. She has now been arrested and held at the police station for 4 days. How can I withdraw the case so she can be released?

Dear Lawyers, I was caught drinking and driving (no accident). They held me in prison for one day, then I signed some papers and they released me. They also gave me a vehicle impound paper and asked me to come on Monday with my car registration and license. Do you have any information on what will happen next?