Dear sir/madam, I would like someone to be honest with me. I am in the UK. How long have I got to claim inheritance in Dubai? I was reading in the Gulf News that the laws of the country of the deceased at the time of death can be applied regarding the will. Is this true or false? I am really looking for these two questions to be answered first. Can anyone help me with this, please?

Dear Advocate Sweta Singh, I am from India and in Sep 2018, I purchased an apartment in a hotel. The hotel has not been completed and the delay is more than a year. They have not paid any compensation as per the contract, nor do they talk about it. I have paid more than 80% in installments and paying it regularly. Please help me, guide me on how to cancel the deal and get a full refund, or any other way which helps me recover my investment. Regards

Dear questioner, My father (Muslim) has passed away in South Africa. He leaves behind 4 children, his wife (our mother) and his own mother. He had a will for South Africa in which, I (oldest son) am executor. The will does state that it encompasses all property and assets wherever they may be. He has various properties and assets in the UAE. My questions are: 1. Does his will have power in the UAE or will it be divided by Sharia? 2. What documents are required to wind up his estate? 3. What is the wind-up process within the UAE?

My son tragically died in Dubai and his salary has been paid into a UAE HSBC bank account. My daughter also lives in Dubai and has an HSBC account. How can I access my Son's bank account, please? I live in the UK.

My uncle died 2 weeks ago in one of the private hospitals here in Dubai. We have already completed everything regarding the repatriation of his body with the help of his employer and his remains are already sent back to our home country last week. He used to give me an access of his ATM card before and I tried to access it just few days ago and I found out that there is some amount of money left on his bank account. I am aware that he has some pending bank loan requests before he died, so I am afraid that amount might be the reason of such big amount. Being the only family member of my deceased uncle, what should I do in order to make sure that the amount is from his savings and not from his bank loans? In case the amount is proved to be his own savings, is there any chance for me to get the authorization to claim that amount from the bank to be used by his family? He has a wife with 3 kids back home. Thanks a lot in advance.

حصلت على قرض شخصي وكريدت كارد من مؤسسة للتمويل بإجمالي ٥٠ ألف وتعثرت لفترة والآن يطالبونني بدفع مبلغ ٢٠٠ ألف درهم بالفوائد وكنت أعطيتهم شيك بقيمة ٤٢ ألف وقتها. سؤالي: هل يوجد سند لأمر داخل عقد القرض (الأبليكيشن) الخاص بالشركة التي وقعت معها في البداية؟ أم لا يملكون ضمانًا آخر يُمكِّنهم من مقاضاتي به سوى الشيك الذي أعطيته لهم فقط؟ مع جزيل الشكر!

هناك مشكلة مع مقاول إذ اتفقنا على بناء ملحق داخل منزل خاص ووقعنا العقد واستلم أول دفعة. اشتغل حسب العقد واستلم الدفعة الثانية وأوقف العمل ويرفض المواصلة. تبين لي بعدما حاولت أن أقدم شكوى ضده أنه يستخدم ختم وعقد لشركة منتهية في سنة 2013 ولا يوجد لديه أي ترخيص. كيف أستطيع أن أشكوه وبنفس الوقت أواصل البناء؟

My wife and I are non-Muslims. Divorce was settled in our home country court which decided that I am the custodian of the children and no alimony has to be paid to her. Children are living with me here in the UAE. However, she still resides here in the UAE using a tourist visa. She is planning to file a Maintenance Case against me in the UAE Family Court. Can she do that? Am I obliged to pay her alimony?

فصلتني الشركة فصلاً تعسفيًا وقمت بمقاضاة الشركة والحمد لله حصلت على حكم بمستحقاتي المالية من رواتب متأخرة ومكافأة نهاية الخدمة. تقدمت بطلب تنفيذ ولم تدفع الشركة لي أي مبالغ حتى الآن! ما الخطوة الواجب فعلها في هذه الحالة؟

Hello I bought an off-plan apartment with a developer, paid half and the other half was supposed to be paid on receiving the apartment which was supposed to be received end of 2019. But they postponed it till March 2020, and now the project is way behind and no improvement at all as I'm in phase 2 and they are still building phase one. What can I do to get my money back?

لدينا قضية مدنية مرفوعة ضد الشركة؛ وهي عبارة عن خلاف في حساب الكميات وجودتها داخل شركة مقاولات حيث فرضوا غرامات علينا لأعمال لم تكن في نطاق عملنا. السؤال: في حال استدعت المحكمة خبيرًا فنيًا للحكم بيننا، مَن يدفع راتب الخبير؟ ومَن يُعينه؟ ومن أي جانب يأتي لضمان الحيادية؟

I want to early terminate my tenancy contract of one of my nurseries in JLT (retail unit) as the business is completely shut since March. I am unable to contact my landlord who is a Chinese national; he does not reply to email or call and may not be in Dubai. The final cheque is due 01 May 2020, what should I do?

دفعت مبلغ حجز لمطوِّر قبل توقيع أي عقود رسمية لشقة، عند معاينة شقة العرض للمشروع قام البائع بإبلاغنا بأن رسوم الخدمات ١٤ درهم وبأن الشقة سيتم تسليمها بنفس تفاصيل تشطيبات شقة العرض وأن العقد غير جاهز حاليًا وسيتم تجهيزه بعد يومين. تم هذا كله أمام أحد الوسطاء العقاريين الرسميين، وعند طباعة العقود تبين أن رسوم الخدمات ١٧.٥ إلى ١٨ درهم والتفاصيل التي ذكرها البائع بشأن بعض التشطيبات كما بشقة العرض غير مذكورة بالعقد، وعند العودة الى البائع تردد وأنكر وبعد مخاطبة شركته، لم يتعاونوا معي أبدًا ولم يُعيدوا مبلغ الحجز. كيف يمكنني استرجاع المبلغ علمًا بأنه يوجد لدي فقط وصل مختوم بالمبلغ المدفوع وشهادة شركة الوساطة العقارية؟

I purchased 2 off-plan hotel apartments in 2016; both ACD Q2, 2018. One is 100% paid, the other is 30% as per the SPA. According to SPA: "Without prejudice to the Seller's rights under Clause 21 in respect of a Force Majeure Event and/or Foreign Delay Events, the ACD may be extended by the Seller, in its absolute discretion without cause, by written notice to the Purchaser for a period or periods of up to a total of twelve (12) months." No written notice was received, despite requesting it on 21/09/2018 by email (no reply). After several misleading communications and changing completion dates, they are now saying that because I did not exercise my entitlement to send written notice requiring completion of building works within 1 year from ACD ("Remedy Period"), I am not entitled to terminate. I didn't send this notice as I was waiting for them to send theirs as per SPA obligations. Current RERA status is 61.59% (due 30/06/2020)and 84.54% (due 31/05/2020). Is this a good cause for termination?

sir, I am residing in Kuwait. One of my wife's friends cheated me with a cheque of RAK Bank, Sharjah of a sum of 120,000 Dirhams which he owed me in 2018. He was running a general trading company. There is also another cheque of commercial bank of Dubai with a sum of 150,000 dirhams. He closed down the company by the end of 2016. When I ask him regarding the money, he tells me that he doesn't have the money now and whenever he has, he will give me. Both cheques are without specified dates. As I am staying in Kuwait, I don't have an account in Dubai. I did not present these cheques to banks as I don't have an account and also if I present them, I won't be having any evidence if the banks keep them. Which way can I proceed as this guy cheated me? Kindly advise! Thanks! M.T.

Good morning. Kindly help me out with the below query: If a sole establishment is converted into an LLC, what would happen to the existing Lease Agreement with the Sole Establishment as the tenant? Thank you.

Good day, Sir, I have received a message from the Dubai Court stating that a bank has filed a civil case against me. The loan has been pending since February 2019. I cleared the cheque bounce case earlier with a court fine in 2019. I am looking forward to a minimum settlement plan with the bank. The outstanding amount was around 70,000 AED, and now the message is for 115,000 AED. What will be the best way for me to proceed: approaching the bank or dealing with it in court? Best regards,

Hello, I have given my notice, and my last day is July 24, but the employer is refusing to pay my salary; even the salary for June. Is this even legal? He claims I'll get everything at once, which is after leaving the country or changing status.

Dear Lawyers, I worked at a bakeshop here in Dubai. I resigned exactly one year ago. Now they want me to pay for visa charges, as stated in the offer letter. If I cannot pay for the charges, my employer will claim financial loss due to the damages, estimated to be at least 7,000 AED. What should I do about this? My monthly salary is only 2,800 AED.

Dear Lawyers, Is an employee eligible for maternity leave in the first three months of pregnancy? If an employee takes sick leave in the first three months of pregnancy, can it be considered normal sick leave or maternity leave?

Hello, I want to know the UAE rules regarding second marriage for expats. I am a Pakistani national and already have a wife back in my home country. Now, I want to do a second marriage in the UAE with a Moroccan girl. Can you please let me know the procedure involved? Can I get my marriage registered in the UAE? Is it mandatory to disclose the first marriage? I am on an employment visa in Dubai.

Hello, I am a manager of an LLC company with 25% share. In February 2003, a partner joined the company with a 25% share. After two months, he didn’t like the company and left. After two years, we did not know where he was. We just heard that he left to Tunisia before his visa expired. What to do with his 25% share, please?

I got a work permit and entry from a Dubai employer for work. During the travel to Dubai, do I need to show any accommodation proof, return ticket, or anything? What documents do I need to carry?

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?

Hello, How much time do I have to start paying after the verdict in the appeal court? And what's the probability of freezing my account or traffic file if I’m paying?