Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
7 available 7 • View allWhat can be done if your customer is not paying your invoices?
10
Q: My firm (based in the UK) is owed $57,500 for providing materials and event management services for a Dubai-based business called International Premier Tennis League.
They have failed to pay my invoice or any of the individual skilled craftsmen and technicians I recommended they hired to deliver the events which we delivered in December 2016.
What I'd like to do is recover my money and possibly make sure that the business behaviour of the IPTL management team is not repeated (it must be a crime to commit business services to a project without ever having the means to pay for it).
Any help or advice appreciated, please.

Jun 13, 2017
13339
Debt claim from a company owner after the job is done
2
Q: I run an architectural firm in London, UK. One of our clients is a property broker based in Dubai who also has a UK based company that was set up specifically to pay our fees.
He is the director of the UK company as well as the Dubai company. His company is refusing to pay us £12,000 that has been owed for work we completed over 12 months ago.
Is it possible to lodge a claim against him personally in Dubai as I have a feeling he will just shut down his UK company if I pursue it through the UK courts?
If so, what is the process and how much would the legal and court fees be?
We have a contract signed by him, but on behalf of his UK company, and a lot of correspondences between us and his company trying to recover the money.

Jul 26, 2018
898
Claim for outstanding amounts against provided services

2
Q: Hi,
We are a technical & cleaning service provider. We worked on the facade cleaning of Hotel Apartments and submitted our invoice on the 18th of March 2018.
As per our contract, we receive our payment within 15 days after the submission of the invoice. But this time we are chasing them for the 15 days period which was on April 4, 2018.
Every time we ask, their finance department was replying that the signatory is not available. Yesterday, the 28th of July, we arranged a meeting with their GM and discussed everything with him.
We were shocked that the GM said: "Go to the police, we will not pay you anything." I replied, "Why"? He said, "The management is not willing to pay anything to anyone".
We have the contract with them, a copy of the submitted invoice, and photos of all work progress.
Advise us, what should we do?
Regards,
S. S. H.
Managing Director


Aug 26, 2018
1605
Claiming price of supplied equipment without confirming the order
2
Q: Hello,
I hope all is well.
I have an events company and a supplier has given me a quotation for a wedding free of charge with a design without asking for charges.
The wedding had a lot of planning hiccups so it was dragged along but I promised to try to give it to him if it’s possible but had not confirmed either verbally or on a signed agreement.
And till 2 weeks ago I told him I will need to use a local supplier rather than him but if I needed more equipment I would tell him and he replied by saying please do send me a list if u require anything.
However, there is no signed agreement and the quotation was for 1.7 million dollars and there’s no agreement with him and the wedding is November 8-9, so I am sure he knew he wasn’t getting it.
Is he allowed to file a case based on nothing written and signed because we all know no supplier works on anything without signed contract and deposit and that’s in every contract?

Oct 28, 2019
259
Drafting an agreement with business partner for debt


4
Q: We have an LLC company in Dubai for the last 12 years. We have bank liabilities with one of the UAE banks for which our sponsor has given a personal guarantee.
To remove his personal guarantee he has agreed to make a partial settlement of the loan but needs confirmation from the company that when we win one of the arbitration cases and money which we get in Dubai court, he should have first right over that receivables from Court.
The receivable amount will be more than what he will pay to banks.
1) Can we create such an agreement and will Dubai court accept this?
2) What is the procedure we can do and give him the confidence to pay money to the bank?



Oct 29, 2019
510
Assistance with collecting unpaid debts from clients


0
Q: Our company is not operational anymore as we had debt with two banks and we are now in India. So, we have been negotiating with the bank directly to bring down the one-time settlement amount.
We most likely have two cases against our company by these two banks.
I need two services from you.
1. Collect debt on behalf of us - from several companies - total around AED 1.3 million.
What's the likelihood of collecting these debts?
How will you pay back to us in order for us to settle to other suppliers?
And is there any fee or once you receive our payment? If there is an upfront fee, we are unable to pay at this stage.
2. We already have AED 600k worth of cheques under our company name. How will you help in cashing those cheques on behalf of us? Is there a way?
If we deposit into our bank account, does it get deducted towards our debt without reaching a settlement. There are 4 cheques.
Share your thoughts. We would hire you if your answer makes complete sense to us.



Nov 24, 2019
395
Counterclaim against two companies owned by the same owner


1
Q: I write to you from the UK.
There are two corporate companies owned by the same owner and operating in the same territory; one of them is a property company, the second is a financial services company.
The first one has defaulted on a transaction with me for £700,000. This amount has remained outstanding for the last 10 years and is a proven debt.
The second company is making a claim against me for £53,000 and starts bankruptcy action against me.
Does Sharia / Dubai law permit me to make a counterclaim against the second company because of the outstanding debt (£700,000) that the first one owes me?
The transactions between both were separate transactions. Does Sharia Law permit a “set-off"?
In law, set-off is a legal technique applied between persons with mutual rights and liabilities. It permits the rights to be used to discharge the liabilities where cross-claims exist between two parties.



Jun 30, 2019
335
Laws & Regulations
4 available 4 • View allFederal Law No. (5) of 1985 On the Civil Transactions Law of the United Arab Emirates 96
The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.
Dec 15, 1985
148341
Federal Law No. (11) of 1992 Concerning Issuance of the Civil Procedures Code 42
The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.
Feb 24, 1992
75274
Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 Issuing the Commercial Transactions Law 19
This Law applies to merchants, as well as to all acts of commerce carried out in the UAE by any person even though he be not a trader. Commercial matters regarding which specific Federal laws are issued shall be subject to the provisions of such laws, and to the provisions hereof which do not contradict with said laws.
Sep 7, 1993
32998
Federal Law No. (10) of 1992 On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions 14
The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes in the UAE.
Jan 15, 1992
19085

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Is there any restriction on a diplomat buying property in the UAE, where he works as a diplomat at his country's consulate?
Feb 20, 2025
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If someone has a case in the UAE, can they travel to another GCC country? 0
Hi.
One of my friends joined a Telegram group. They said, "We will transfer some amount to your account, and your task is to transfer this amount to another account. Once the task is completed, you will get 30 or 50 AED per task."
He completed 3 to 4 tasks, but he realized it was not good, so he stopped. After one week, when he opened his account, it was blocked, and the bank said, "We are conducting an investigation; after this, we will let you know."
After some days, he had an accident and went to his home country. He then received a call from a landline number, which was from the Abu Dhabi police station.
They said, "We have received a complaint against you; come to our investigation department." However, due to his surgery and treatment, he could not go.
After some time, his bank account was reopened, and he did not receive any further calls. I want to know, if he comes back to the UAE or goes to any other GCC country, will he face any problems?
If someone has a case in the UAE, can they travel to another GCC country?
Please advise!
Feb 17, 2025
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What can I do if my employer refuses to pay me and I have no contract? 0
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What legal action can I take in case the employer refuses to pay my salary and I don't have a contract with them?
Feb 18, 2025
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I want to open an online shop. Do I need a license to open an Etsy shop? 0
I currently live in Sharjah and have a UAE residence visa but I am not a UAE or GCC national. I want to open an online shop (Etsy or Shopify) to sell handmade items, such as crocheted goods, bookmarks, greeting cards, etc.
Do I need a license to open an Etsy shop?
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How much would it cost me?
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How can we locate a person with an ongoing legal case? 0
Hello,
I am seeking your legal advice regarding a friend who was previously imprisoned in Abu Dhabi. His case there is now closed, but he has another ongoing case in Dubai.
Currently, we have lost contact with him and are unsure of his whereabouts. How can we check where he is or access any other legal facility?
Are there legal procedures to locate a person with an ongoing case?
What steps should we take to get more information about his status and legal position?
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View allCan my husband attend a hearing on my behalf in Dubai Land Court? 0
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I have a hearing in Dubai Land Court. Can my husband attend this hearing on my behalf?
Will I need to give him a power of attorney, or can he attend the session without it?
Feb 11, 2025
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استحقاق المحامي نسبة من الفائدة القانونية رغم إبرام عقد سنوي بمبلغ مقطوع 0
السلام عليكم،
اتفقت الشركة مع مكتب محاماة على عقد سنوي بمبلغ مقطوع بالإضافة إلى نسبة من المبلغ الذي يتم تحصيله من القضايا.
هل يستحق المحامي نسبة من الفائدة القانونية المقضي بها حكمًا؟
Apr 27, 2022
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How do I resolve a year-long pending police complaint to lift the travel ban? 0
Hello,
I need help!
A year ago, my previous employer filed a complaint at the police station accusing me of abuse. He did this because I had taken him to the labor court for not paying my salary.
The labor court case was resolved, and I received my salary. However, the police complaint is still pending. Initially, the police took my statement and informed me to wait for a court summons.
It has now been a year, and I have not received any summons. The case is still under police investigation. They have also informed me that there is a travel ban against me.
How can I remove this case from the police station?
Jul 16, 2024
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Can I claim all the cheques, even though some will cover the amount owed? 0
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I have invested money in a company in the UAE and got post-dated cheques. They requested to delay the payment for a long time. Now, I deposited one cheque and it bounced.
I am creating a cheque execution case. However, I have a few more cheques to deposit that they owe me. They gave me around 5 cheques, of which 3 will cover the money they owe.
Can I claim all the cheques? Will I face legal issues from them?
Jun 12, 2024
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Is it possible for a married Muslim man to marry a second wife in Dubai if she is non Muslim? 0
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Jun 11, 2024
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