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 had a fraudulent and unauthorized transaction on my credit card, but the bank is saying no action can be taken as it happened outside the country. We approached the police, but they are saying to proceed legally as it happened outside the country.

Hello, My husband is in jail and the case is still under investigation, but the complainant wants to settle and withdraw the case. Is it possible for my husband to get out of jail on the same day the case is withdrawn?

Hello, I have a complaint registered against me. The crime description is "breach of trust by embezzlement." Can I travel outside the UAE? I don't have any travel ban against me.

Hello, I recently made a Google review (and gave 1 star) regarding a grooming gone wrong to my fur baby's long, beautiful coat. Everything was done badly and so wrong; it was so upsetting and disappointing. The owner reached out and gave some free vitamins to my baby boy and even offered to share my résumé with his contacts because I am currently searching for a job. After an hour, the owner called asking me to delete my review. I messaged him not to pressure me or force me into doing something I don’t want to do, and told him I didn’t expect he wanted me to delete the review in exchange for the vitamins he gave for my fur baby. I updated my review and mentioned that I appreciated the gesture. But he called again, threatening that his business partner might file a case against me. Can they really do that to me, even if I didn’t directly ask for the vitamins and I didn’t say any bad word against their company? I just made an honest review based on an upsetting and frustrating grooming service.

Hello, If acquitted by the appeal court, is the travel ban and wanted status automatically removed? I mean, an innocent verdict was issued by the first instance court, then it was appealed, and after that, the travel ban was there. Now, the appeal court has issued an acquittal from all charges; so is the travel ban still there, or is it automatically removed after the judgment is issued?

Hello, I had a fraudulent and unauthorized transaction on my credit card, but the bank is saying no action can be taken as it happened outside the country. We approached the police, but they are saying to proceed legally as it happened outside the country.

Hello, If the company loses my passport, what can I do?

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?

I received a message from the Dubai police in which they said that I have a travel ban on my Emirates ID, and I should contact the Dubai court. Can I renew the visa in such a situation?

Hello, This is regarding an enquiry about a case where we were acquitted by the first instance court, that is, the trial court. The prosecution appealed the judgment, and we also received an acquittal verdict from the misdemeanour appeal court. I know there are still 30 days, but what are the chances it can be appealed to the Court of Cassation?

Hello, My lawyer has charged me more than the actual amount for registering my labour case. What should I do?

Hello, If the tenant is evicted due to renovation, once the renovation is done, can the landlord rent the property to a new tenant, or does the landlord have to wait for 2 years?

Hi Sir, My husband had a judgment where he was found not guilty, as the misdemeanor court stated that it doubts the charges against the accused and found no conclusive evidence except the statements in the report files. The court considered this invalid because there was no translator. After this, if the Public Prosecution appeals, will the verdict remain unchanged and be upheld if there is nothing more than this  Can you shed some light from your experience on this issue and say if the result will remain the same?

Hello, I paid a contractor (via bank transfers) to deliver a project (1BHK renovation – full), and they did not. What action can I take against them in Dubai?

السلام عليكم، أود الاستفسار بشأن قضية إبعاد زوج خالتي من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. زوج خالتي كان مقيماً في الإمارات وكان قد وُلد وترعرع هناك. في عام 2013 تم إبعاده من الإمارات، وكان ذلك نتيجة لسياسات حكومية كانت تستهدف مجموعة من المقيمين في تلك الفترة، وهو لم يكن قد ارتكب أي مخالفة في ذلك الوقت وكان يُعتبر ضحية للسياسات المتبعة. أرغب في معرفة الإجراءات التي يجب أن أتبعها حالياً من أجل رفع هذا الإبعاد وتمكينه من العودة إلى الإمارات. أرجو أن توضح لي كيف يمكنني مساعدته في هذا الموضوع. شكراً جزيلاً.

Hello, Is it okay for teachers to go through a student's school bag when the student is outside of class? The student has no knowledge of the search and hasn't given consent, and has done nothing suspicious. The teacher checked every bag in the classroom.

Dear all, If an employee is a Golden Visa holder and has sent a termination notification stating they are not willing to extend the contract, shall we still provide a repatriation ticket?

What is the responsibility of the employee? The employment contract is set to conclude on 31st May 2025. The employee initiated discussions regarding a salary increment approximately 30 days prior, during which the management engaged in meetings with the employee but ultimately decided to maintain the current salary. The employee subsequently chose not to renew or continue the employment, this decision having been finalized in a meeting held on 20th May 2025. How does the notice period apply in this context? Specifically: 1) Would the grace period (30 days after the contract/visa ends) be considered as fulfilling the notice period requirement? 2) Is the employee entitled to request a different salary during this grace or notice period?

I work for a Meydan Freezone employer under a limited contract. The employer has terminated my contract without notice after 1 year and is not offering to pay 3 months' compensation severance, nor a notice period, nor a correct settlement. They are asking me to sign a contract to waive it. I contacted MOHRE, who stated you need a NOC or referral letter from Meydan, but Meydan stated they do not issue one, and private matters and disputes are between you and the employer.

Hello, Sir, how many days will it take for an Indian to be deported from the UAE?

Hello, I had a fraudulent and unauthorized transaction on my credit card, but the bank is saying no action can be taken as it happened outside the country. We approached the police, but they are saying to proceed legally as it happened outside the country.

Hello, If the company loses my passport, what can I do?

Dear All, We have a question related to private rental law in Dubai. We have been living in the same house (rented) for the last four years. During those years, we have had to battle our landlord for maintenance at large. Our contract states that ALL maintenance is on his account (no deductible). We have a lot of small maintenance issues, such as kitchen cabinets that are coming loose, a sewage smell in the house, and a toilet upstairs that still doesn't work after four years (despite attempted maintenance). How can we deal with him and get him to honor the contract and resolve all of our issues so we can use the house properly? What legal steps can we take? We have informed him plenty of times over the four years about the problems, but he seems to "ghost" us and does not reply very often. We have issued him a warning to get things fixed by the end of this month (via WhatsApp), but he doesn't seem to mind. Hope you can help with advice and maybe RERA down the line.

Hello, I have found out that a friend divulged sensitive and private medical information to others without my consent. Is this against the law?

Hello, If the tenant is evicted due to renovation, once the renovation is done, can the landlord rent the property to a new tenant, or does the landlord have to wait for 2 years?