I recently purchased a rented apartment in Abu Dhabi and agreed to honor the existing lease. After the transfer, I discovered that the lease is not a Tawtheeq contract, meaning it is not officially registered. Since I am not receiving rent (as it was a non-refundable arrangement with the seller), I prefer not to issue a new Tawtheeq. I also want to avoid a formal notice to vacate to prevent disputes, as I plan to move in. However, I have already informed the tenant that I will not be renewing the lease. I need legal advice on the implications of proceeding without a Tawtheeq contract. What are my risks, especially if the tenant refuses to move out? What legal actions, if any, can the tenant take in this situation?

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?

My brother has been working for a company for 11 years. In the last 3 weeks, he had an incident/accident and scratched a plane since he only had 1 person to assist him as the company was not hiring enough people. Senior staff like him are working more to train inexperienced new hires which adds to their workload working almost 12 hours/day including travel to DWC. The pilot said it was aesthetic and could be painted over but a police investigation ensued. Last week 3 managers and HR talked him down as the investigation concluded. He was terminated immediately with only this month's pay and his 11-year gratuity will not be given by the company. It was not gross negligence or malicious intent, he just didn’t have enough people to help him. He owned up to the mistake and reported the incident within 24 hours. Can he fight for the gratuity?

A person currently under a deportation order wishes to appoint a trusted person with Power of Attorney (POA) to manage their financial and legal matters, including access to their bank account and other obligations. What is the process for obtaining and registering a POA in this situation? Can it be done while they are still in custody, and what steps should they follow to ensure? Please help.

Hello, What legal recourse is available in the UAE for a cheque bounce? Does it matter whether the cheque was issued to an individual or a company? Does the value of the cheque affect the legal action or process?

I would like to know how to clear my police record due to a legal case that was closed 1 year ago. I need to clear it in order to be able to get a job position.

Hello, I bought a brand new car. After 2 weeks, it completely shut down while driving. It got fixed. Then, a few weeks later, when driving on the highway, the whole car started to shake. They have taken the car back in and are saying it will take 3–4 weeks to repair. I don’t trust the car and am not happy with the car dealership for selling me a car that clearly had faults. What should I do?

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.

Hello, I have a case in Sharjah for a rental dispute. How do I find the case number?

Hello, I will not renew my contract with my current company. My labour card will expire on 25-Nov, and my EID on 17-Dec. When will my last day be? Is it based on the labour card or EID?

I would like to know how to clear my police record due to a legal case that was closed 1 year ago. I need to clear it in order to be able to get a job position.

Hello, I have been separated for 7 years from my late ex-husband in the Philippines. I am a converted Muslim since 2016, and my ex-husband was not Muslim. Can I marry my Egyptian fiancé here in the UAE?

Hello, What is the minimum duration an employee must work for the employer who brought them into the country before they can terminate the contract in the UAE?

Hello, Hope this message finds you well! I am seeking legal advice regarding my financial situation as a forex trader living in the UAE under a sponsor work visa. Currently, I do not work for any company and earn my income primarily through cryptocurrency trading. However, I would like to ensure that I can legally receive and withdraw approximately AED 15,000 per month into my UAE bank account without raising any suspicion from the bank. My main concerns are: I am a forex trader and earn money through cryptocurrency, which I then exchange into fiat currency (AED). How can I ensure that the process of depositing this income into my bank account is transparent and compliant with UAE laws to avoid any issues with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations? Since I do not have a formal job or salary, how should I go about documenting or explaining my income to the bank to avoid any red flags regarding the source of my funds? Are there any specific steps I need to take to ensure my deposits are compliant?

I received a legal notice to pay rent. I have already cleared the amount specified in the legal notice, but my landlord is now saying that I also need to clear further late fees as per our contract within the legal notice time period. Is that valid if it is not stated in the notice?

Hello, I have been separated for 7 years from my late ex-husband in the Philippines. I am a converted Muslim since 2016, and my ex-husband was not Muslim. Can I marry my Egyptian fiancé here in the UAE?

Hello, I bought a brand new car. After 2 weeks, it completely shut down while driving. It got fixed. Then, a few weeks later, when driving on the highway, the whole car started to shake. They have taken the car back in and are saying it will take 3–4 weeks to repair. I don’t trust the car and am not happy with the car dealership for selling me a car that clearly had faults. What should I do?

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.

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.

Hello, I have a case in Sharjah for a rental dispute. How do I find the case number?

I would like to know how to clear my police record due to a legal case that was closed 1 year ago. I need to clear it in order to be able to get a job position.

Hello, I bought a brand new car. After 2 weeks, it completely shut down while driving. It got fixed. Then, a few weeks later, when driving on the highway, the whole car started to shake. They have taken the car back in and are saying it will take 3–4 weeks to repair. I don’t trust the car and am not happy with the car dealership for selling me a car that clearly had faults. What should I do?

Hello, I have a case in Sharjah for a rental dispute. How do I find the case number?

Good day, lawyers! I do not understand what is going on. I was at the prosecution office last week and was informed that the other party is not in the country. Today, I was given another reason, saying they need the police to change the case number and revert to them. Is it possible to change the case number, or is this just an excuse to buy more time?

I had a rental dispute case with my previous landlord. I’ve been evicted now, and she took the keys right there in the presence of the police she came with. Upon going to Takhlees in Deira to open an account for installment payment, she hasn’t put on the website that the keys are handed over. I’m waiting for this because money keeps piling up since I last vacated the premises. I have been placed on a travel ban, which is also affecting my visa status. I need to regulate. Any advice, please? What to do?

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.

Hello, I was working as a travel agent. One of my clients applied for a visa with me, and it's our third time trying to get her visa in 2 years. The first two times when the visa didn’t get approved, I paid her back the same time, and I’m the one who gave her the visit visa also. But for the third time, I couldn’t get the visa either. In the meantime, I lost my job, so I told her last month that I need time to give the money back - like in the first week of April, between the 5th to 10th. But she didn’t accept and made a case. So what will happen next? Will the police arrest me? When I check the case status, it’s showing "awaiting decision," and the amount is 5000. So what will happen next?

Hello, I have a case in Sharjah for a rental dispute. How do I find the case number?

Hello, I have been separated for 7 years from my late ex-husband in the Philippines. I am a converted Muslim since 2016, and my ex-husband was not Muslim. Can I marry my Egyptian fiancé here in the UAE?

Currently working at Company X in Dubai. I recently got a stronger offer from Company Y, a much larger firm in the same industry but in a different free zone. When I asked if Company X could match the offer, they proposed a bonus, not a salary adjustment. I resigned. While I didn’t disclose where I was going, they seem to know, and their legal team has started sending letters. My contract has restrictive clauses, including: “For 12 months post-termination, the employee shall not, without prior written consent, (a) be employed or engaged in any capacity by any business in competition in the UAE with any Restricted Business; (b) have business dealings with any Client or Prospective Client in such competition.” Friends in law say it’s too broad to enforce. I held a manager role, AED 30k/month, not C-level, though considered a key member. Despite the pressure, I believe they’re overreaching legally. Please advise if these non-compete clauses are enforceable.

A local company in Dubai intends to acquire a 50% ownership stake in an auto repair business currently owned by an individual (100%). We are seeking professional legal advisory services to guide us through the acquisition process.

Dear Lawyers, Dubai Court has blocked the traffic file number of the debtor's vehicle for failing to pay me (the creditor) as per the judgment. Can I request the court to auction the vehicle? Please advise! Thanks and Regards,

Needed to know if I am eligible to file for mutual divorce as an Indian expat living in Dubai and holding an Indian passport and also have Canadian PR. My husband is a Canadian citizen working in Saudi on a work visa. What are my rights? Can I ask for alimony? Can I file for divorce from Dubai? I have no children from the marriage.

A local company in Dubai intends to acquire a 50% ownership stake in an auto repair business currently owned by an individual (100%). We are seeking professional legal advisory services to guide us through the acquisition process.

Hello, Is it legal to reduce the salary after signing an employment contract?

I raised a cheque execution case against a company and its owner and won. There is a travel ban on him. I was receiving installments for three months and now he stopped paying. The court after request summoned him. In total, he paid only 30% of the owed money. I found that his company license is expired and also in the month his visa will expire. Does he have any option to avoid payment? Please note he was deceived by showing no money in his bank account and no assets in his name but he is running multiple businesses. Also a month ago, he tried to convince me to lift the travel ban but I refused to do so. But he submitted a guarantee and left UAE. Now the status shows he is back in the UAE and the travel ban imposed again. But after that, he stopped payment. Is there a 1% chance of him not paying me the remaining money? Is there a way he can leave the country through the Amnesty program or any of this sort?

Hello, In EMARATAX (The Federal Tax Authority), if someone has two licenses in different emirates for the same activity, does he need to register two taxable persons, or how should he proceed?

Hello, I purchased a one-bedroom off-plan unit in Dubai from a well-known developer under an SPA specifying an area of 801 sq. ft. I completed all payments as per the developer’s payment plan, and the unit was handed over to me without a Title Deed. After taking possession, furnishing the unit, signing a tenancy contract, and making repeated follow-ups to obtain my Title Deed, the developer informed me, 45 days after handover, that the actual area was 1,041.41 sq. ft., a 30% increase from the original SPA terms. To receive my Title Deed, they are now demanding payment for the increased size. Key issues: - Failure to notify me before handover about the 30% increase in area. - The SPA allows for price adjustments for area variations but specifies that such adjustments must be reflected in the final installment, which I had already fully paid before handover. - The developer has now filed a legal case through Dubai Courts, demanding payment. I require legal advice based on RERA/DLD laws and the SPA.