Q: Dear Sir, My husband and I are separated. I have a 7-month-old baby to whom he provided no support whatsoever, however, he is holding all her IDs with the intention of harming me. Would it be possible to open a case and ask to be the guardian and custodian of the baby, so that all the rights will be with me and the so-called father will have no responsibilities nor rights over the child? Thank you. Best regards, Fatma

Q: We separated with my wife almost a year ago and my 4-year-old daughter stays with me and her nanny in my apartment full-time. I am taking care of all the expenses and supporting her with all needed. And I want everything to be the same after divorcing. Would it be possible for me to get custody in this situation? What are the fees of the family lawyer in Dubai? 

Q: I am a UAE national. My husband and I are divorced and were building a house on our government land. We divorced and I applied for a house at Iskan because my parents are dead and it may be likely that I will take custody of my children. I went to Iskan to tell them my situation, they told me I should come back in three years, I have a steady income and it's possible that I will remarry. However, my income is not enough since I will be barely surviving and will not be able to put away savings for my retirement. At this point, the way I would live is no different than an expatriate. I don't have a problem waiting for three years, however, where am I meant to live for 3 years? Not to mention, I'm old enough to receive a pension. Remarrying is out of the picture. I was also told by Iskan that I am not eligible to receive land or a government house since my name was included under the government land that my ex-husband and I were building. There should be loans for women in my situation. Any advice?

Q: Hello, My ex-British husband lives in Ras al Khaimah, and he has been a resident there for the past 13 months. He is not consistent with the payments towards our 3-year-old child. Can I file a child maintenance lawsuit against him there? I live in the UK and we are separated. He works for the Department of Education and receives around 4000£/monthly wages. How much would that cost me; hiring a private lawyer?

Q: An Indian Hindu girl wants to marry a Canadian Muslim boy In Dubai without converting their religion. Is it possible?

Q: My husband fled to Dubai after he stopped contact with me for over a year. I had filed a maintenance and domestic violence case against him here in India after he physically abused me and later refused to keep me with him. He then sent me back to my parents' place which has been over 1.5 years. We tried to talk and come to a solution for his behaviour but he fled to Dubai and we have no knowledge of his whereabouts, phone number or anything except for his passport copy. My in-laws are also not ready to provide any information unless we agree to pay a certain amount for the information. Is there any way that I can file a case against him in Dubai from India? Or something that he is deported here in India so that I can take legal action against him?

س: السلام عليكم، علمت أنه هناك إجراء جديد فيما يتعلق بالحضانة وهو أن يمر الطلب على لجنة تقييم لطالب الحضانة. أنا أب أقيم مع أطفالي خارج الإمارات منذ 4 أشهر. ليس لدي إقامة في الإمارات وغادرت بهم بنية عدم العودة. والدة الأطفال لديها إقامة في الإمارات وإقامة الأطفال على جهة عملها وباقي شهرين لانقضاء مدة انتهاء الإقامة للأطفال بسبب مكوثهم لأكثر من 6 أشهر. سؤالي: إذا رفعت دعوى حضانة، فماذا سيحدث لو أحال القاضي الدعوى للجنة الحضانة والتي تطلب حضور الأطفال وهم في الخارج؟ هل سيتم رفض الطلب أم ما الإجراء في هذه الحالة؟ وشكرًا!

An interview-format article covering the topic of custody and guardianship in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

UAE Personal Status Law (also known as Personal Affairs Law) governs marriage, divorce, inheritance and other personal affairs in the United Arab Emirates. The law equally applies to citizens of the UAE and non-citizens unless one of them asks for the application of his home country law.