Q: I was jailed for 4 months for not being able to pay a loan from a Dubai bank since I've lost my job in 2011. After my release, I tried looking for a job but was unsuccessful, so I went back to my home country when my visa expired but still the bank is sending emails and threatening me and wants to collect money from me. Now that I am back here in Dubai, they threatened to file a ban against me and told me that I cannot get my visa renewed if I will not pay them. Can the bank do such THING? I already have accepted the punishment of serving jail time since during that time I didn't have a JOB and was totally broke. What can I do so that they will stop harassing me? What does the law say if someone had served the sentence for a bouncing check case? Thanks and hoping to be enlightened. 

Q: I have four credit cards which I am using last 5- 6 years. My financial situation has currently changed dramatically, and I am not in a position to repay the minimum payments. Until the last month, all the payments were accurate. All four credit cards entitle to use AED 100,000. As per my knowledge, the bank will file a case against me and I would like to know what actions can I take to avoid prison. In addition, I think I need a lawyer so that he can take care of my documents and release me if they will catch me. Could you please tell me what will the next step be? How can I get a court decision in my favor and obtain a police clearance certificate after all this? Thanks.

Q: Is a bank obligated by law or financial regulation to provide a payment plan for a credit card loan if the monthly instalments are too high?If the answer is no, what can I do to avoid legal action and only pay half the instalment which is what I can afford? 

Q: Today I've got a call from Dubai Airport Terminal 1 police station. I've been asked to come to the police station without giving me a reason. I have an unpaid bank loan but I am not aware of any court case in this regard. What are my rights in this situation? Should this kind of request from police be in writing? Can I ignore this telephone call and what are the consequences?

Q: Hi, I am staying in Abu Dhabi with my husband & 7 years old daughter. My husband was working in a big construction company from the year 1996. In October 2015, he got terminated due to which he went in depression. He got another job but due to depression, he was not going to work regularly. The company terminated him. He doesn't have a job for 2 months & he is not in the position to look for the job as he has depression again. He was having 3 credit cards. During his first job, he paid regularly without any delays. But after this new job, he didn't pay on time & even for 2 cards we were unable to pay for around 1 year. For the third card after checking with the bank, we had made installments but now for past 3 months, we didn't pay for it. I really don't know what to do. I am also working but my salary is good enough for the rent only. Nowadays, our friends are helping us for the daily needs even. Kindly let me know what could be the possible solution for this & can I send my daughter to the home country?

Q: HI, I was recently terminated from my work on May 1, 2017. I have a credit card with outstanding dues with FGB. On May 10th, I had applied for the credit shield with the bank. On application, they informed me that it would take 40-60 days to get credit shield approved. But it has been 4 months and it's still not approved. The bank is repeatedly calling me for the minimum payment, which I am not able to do since I haven't received any new job offer. I visited the bank collection department and the credit shield insurance company with no proper reply from any. The bank has now issued a legal notice and I do not have any proper reply from anyone with regard to the credit shield. I have been giving interviews and it's only a matter of a couple of weeks before which I might be employed again. My question is, can the bank register case against me when the credit shield application is pending? Also, will the case affect my legal status when new employer applies for new employment visa? Thanks.

Q: Salaam, I have an issue with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank regarding a credit card. I have paid everything last week. How can I make sure that they have no legal action against me in the UAE? I am out of the country since 2015.

Q: I have missed my credit card payment by 15 days and I have confirmed back I will make the payment by 29th of this month. Meanwhile, I am planning to travel to India the coming month but I want to know if there will be any travel ban for me to go out of the UAE on my vacation due to the delay in payment.

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I heard that banks have insurance for each personal loan and credit card debt they lend. How does this help my case if I have defaulted and am now going to face legal action?

The management of individual financial affairs is crucial and all the actions must be weighed down while committing to any financial liability. Whether it's job loss that may have lead to financial failure or the opposite, one must be aware of the personal liability which will not diminish by paying fines for cheque bounce cases. There are two major types of liabilities, criminal liability and civil liability. Each has its own significance, hence, must be dealt with accordingly.

إن الاستشارات القانونية هي أحد أهم أعمال المحاماة، وقد يعتقد البعض أنه ليس من الضروري تعيين محامي متخصص لأعمالهم أو شركاتهم إلا في حال التعرض لمشاكل قانونية، إلا أن حقيق الأمر تتطلب الحذر دائمًا، فبدلًا من أن تواجه ردود أفعال غير مرغوب فيها قد تكلفك الكثير من الوقت والجهد والمال، يمكنك الحصول على استشارة قانونية أياً كانت قيمتها فلا تقارن بقيمة الخسائر المادية والمشاكل القانونية التي قد تنتج عن التصرف بدونها، ولعل كثرة القضايا والمنازعات سببها عدم أخذ الرأي القانوني من أهل الخبرة.

The provisions of this Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, known as the "New UAE Penal Code", governs criminal actions in the United Arab Emirates. The New Penal Code repeals the previous UAE Penal Code (Federal Law No. (3) of 1987 Promulgating the Penal Code).