Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
7 available 7 • View allDivorce and division of assets in the UAE
10
Q: Hi,
I am currently negotiating a divorce with my wife who is a Russian National. We got married in 2013 in Moscow ZAGs (Registry).
I would like to know more about the division of assets upon divorce and what the correct procedures are, as I am in a deadlock with her negotiating.
We bought a property in the UAE and both contributed equally towards the down payment. However, moving forward, all mortgage payments were made by me.
I am trying to make an agreed settlement with my wife, however, she is asking more than what I feel is fair and equal. If I was to sell the property we would both end up with less.
In fact, she will end up with significantly less than what I am offering her. I would like to speak to someone with regards to the divorce proceedings and what the correct procedure is.
Jul 13, 2016
7362
Property division in divorce
4
Q: Question about property division in Dubai after divorce:
My husband divorced with his ex-wife. During their marriage, he bought property office unit (he paid money to buy it and he still paying for maintaining from his pocket) and gifted it to her. Now they divorced, can he get his half? What is Dubai law rules?
They are in court proceedings for the property division in Russia, in case if he can agree with her to sign this unit under his name, is it acceptable for Dubai? What documents does he need to show here in order to do property registration back to his name?

Jul 12, 2016
5003
Divorce proceedings and asset distribution for expats in the UAE

1
Q: Good day,
I am a South African citizen married to a Romanian citizen under the Romanian law. [We were married in the Romanian embassy in Qatar and issued a Romanian marriage certificate.]
We are residents of the UAE since 2006. Each of us has worked under own company sponsorship. Our marriage has now come to an end.
I wish to have the divorce proceedings taking place here in the UAE although I am certain that my wife wishes to have it done in Romania.
We have assets both in Abu Dhabi and Romania. Two properties each in both countries fully paid off.
Will it be possible to start the divorce proceedings from my side here in the UAE (Abu Dhabi) even if she is unwilling to do so?
Many thanks,
Marius Strydom


Aug 26, 2018
1358
Which case to file against ex-wife to execute her affidavit
3
Q: My ex-wife had signed an affidavit (non notarised). In that affidavit, she mentioned the division of the family home, payment of a share of children's education costs, and also some money that she had received from me.
She acknowledged that her share of the family home was a loan from me and she will hand over her share of the home back to me whenever I ask for it or whenever we get divorced.
She acknowledged that she will pay 50% of the costs of education of the children whenever I ask for it or whenever we are divorced.
We are Hindu. Should I register a civil case or a personal status case?

Oct 26, 2020
368
Who will be granted the custody of the dog after divorce?
1
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m thinking of getting a divorce but I want to make sure the dog will stay with me. What impacts court decisions about who should look after the pet?
I work from home, my husband works 9h/day at the office. The municipality tag is registered in my name but we bought the dog from the joint funds.

Jun 16, 2021
302
How to claim the share of a jointly owned property from husband after selling it?


1
Q: My husband and I jointly (50/50) own a property in Egypt. We agreed to sell the property.
My husband said that money had to be first transferred to an Egyptian bank and as I do not have this, we agreed that funds would be transferred to him and then he would transfer them to UAE and give me my 50% share.
He is now refusing to do this. Do I have a legal claim?



Jul 18, 2021
328
Can all property and money be considered equally owned after marriage?

1
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
Conditions in Sharia marriage contract
My future husband (a Muslim expatriate) and I are going to register our marriage in the Sharia court in Abu Dhabi.
We have agreed that all property and money acquired after the date of marriage will be considered matrimonial and belong to both of us.
I would like to include this in our marriage contract. Would the following condition be valid:
"The property and assets gained by one of the spouses starting from the date of marriage are considered to be a matrimony property/asset and belong to both spouses equally."?
Please let me know what are some examples of valid conditions that can be included in a Sharia marriage certificate.
Thanks!


Nov 1, 2023
80
Legal blog
2 available 2 • View allTips on Winning Legally at Court and out of Court 2
Winning the Lawttery - what it means to 'win at all costs' in the courtroom and what are the implications of a legal victory. UAE lawyer Diana Hamade shares through this article tips on winning legally while navigating through all possible ways to avoid losing while winning.
Jul 18, 2019
2348
Hidden Asset Discovery - A Case Study 3
The goal of conducting a covert asset inquiry is to discover and recognize assets such as real estate, funds, shares, etc. that have been hidden by one individual from another. Typical situations where conducting a covert asset investigation might be necessary include divorce. Many times spouses try to conceal assets to impact property division or the amounts given in monthly alimony or child support during divorce proceedings.
Oct 1, 2024
69
Laws & Regulations
1 available 1 • View allFederal Law No. (28) of 2005 On Personal Status 24
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.
Nov 19, 2005
49059

Premium
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186 186 answers •
View allI secured a mortgage from the bank and the broker kept delaying until the MOU expired. What to do? 0
Hi,
I need some guidance regarding a property transaction that is not progressing as expected.
My broker initiated a manual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between me (the Buyer) and the Seller, with an expiry date of 01/02/2025. Within this period, I successfully arranged the bank mortgage, property evaluation, and NOC.
However, the broker started giving excuses, such as the seller being hospitalized. Later, the broker attempted to arrange a Power of Attorney (POA).
However, after that, they started ignoring my messages and calls. It now seems like they no longer intend to proceed with me, and the MOU has already expired.
Meanwhile, my bank EMI has already started, and I have paid two monthly installments. The broker is still unresponsive. I have raised multiple complaints through DLD RVS against the broker, but the response has been very slow and unsatisfactory.
I’m feeling stuck and financially burdened.
Please advise
Apr 9, 2025
98
What can I do with the contractor I paid to build my house and disappeared before completion? 0
Hey,
I'm building my house in Dubai, and it was going well.
I gave the contractor 420k as a first payment, and we both agreed that the rest would be in installments. Just two months ago, the contractor went off the grid, and I can't find him.
All I have is a security cheque that bounced back when I went to the bank, as the signature doesn't match what's in the file.
However, I learnt that he does have money, but not the amount that's in the cheque.
What should I do now to get my money back?
I need advice.
Apr 8, 2025
100
Transferred within the same UAE group. What happens to my benefits and allowances? 0
Hello,
I was an employee of a major group in the UAE. Now, they have transferred me to another entity within the same group in the UAE.
What happens to the benefits and allowances agreed upon by the first entity?
Please provide the legal details related to this matter, along with the relevant statutory provisions.
Mar 7, 2025
74
How to recover unpaid fees from a client who refuses to pay for online consulting services? 0
Hello,
A client of mine used our consulting services online and is refusing to pay. Despite multiple reminders, she still has not made the payment. What legal action can I take against her?
Mar 7, 2025
81
Juvenile case withdrawn, but the prosecution refuses to drop it. What happens next? 0
Hello,
A juvenile case has been withdrawn by a third party, but the prosecution doesn’t want to end it.
The child is out on bail. Now the case has moved to court.
What steps should be taken next, or how will they handle it?
Feb 26, 2025
55

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213 213 answers •
View allWhen to claim an inheritance in Dubai while being abroad and which law is applied ? 0
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?
Mar 25, 2022
413
I seek to cancel a purchased property and get refund for delay in handover 0
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
Mar 9, 2022
344
Is it possible to apply a will issued in South Africa in the UAE? 0
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?
Feb 22, 2022
462
How to access the bank account of my son who passed away recently? 0
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.
Feb 17, 2022
367
How can we access the bank account of a deceased person? 0
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.
Feb 10, 2022
277

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36 36 answers •
View allContinuing work after the expiry of a limited contract without renewal 0
My limited contract has finished on 07 April and I'm still working and receiving my salary, however, my employer hasn't notified me yet about renewing the contract.
In case he does not renew my contract, am I entitled to receive compensation for not being given an earlier notice for non-renewal?
May 27, 2020
12115
Requirements of starting a platform for posting ads in Dubai 0
Greetings!
I will be running a website (blog-post + classified ads) from home, that provides services and posting ads, and it will accept membership in some countries that speak English.
I am located in Dubai. Since it requires a free subscription, I want to ask if I am obliged to register it as business anywhere to be legal, or if I do not register, I will be asked or arrested for running this website.
The website is under maintenance at the moment, it will be broadcasting after it is completed. Some points I am really concerned with:
1- Do I need a legal registration of the website as a business? If yes, can you help me find out how? If I register in one country - let's say UAE - will it be legal in other countries e.g UK, US?
2- GDPR is really critical point that we have to consider especially for websites that collect info from visitors if required. What are the major points that we have to focus on GDPR?
Kindly help me optimize my website to get rid of any unsuspected legal issue.
Regards
May 14, 2020
2643
Resignation during the unpaid leave period due to COVID-19 0
I am a manager in a UAE company, I have served 2 years on an unlimited contract. I have been instructed I am on unpaid leave for a 3-month period in light of the current situation.
The company is asking me to sign an annexe to my contract that I accept this unpaid leave period. If I do accept, can I still resign during this 3-month unpaid leave period if I get another job?
Apr 27, 2020
2292
Is it legal to give a post dated cheque against the final settlement? 0
I should have my final settlement on May 9 as my last day of work will be May 2nd. The company offered me to pay me in 2 payments.
A bank transfer was made in the 1st week of May and the second 50% in the 1st week of June by giving me a post-dated cheque.
The issue is I didn't plan to stay 1 more month as I should leave the country.
1- Is this legal to offer this kind of payment? What can I do?
2- If I have to stay, they have to pay my expenses (rent and bills) to stay one more month in the country?
Apr 27, 2020
1368
المقصود بحل الشركة ذات المسؤولية المحدودة وآلية ذلك 0
السلام عليكم،
ما المقصود بحل الشركة ذات المسؤولية المحدودة؟
وكيف يتم حلها؟
ومن له الحق أن يطالب بحل الشركة؟
Apr 28, 2020
5544

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232 232 answers •
View allHow can I cancel my current visa immediately without serving notice? 0
Hello,
I got an offer letter from another company. I want the immediate cancellation paper before 20th April.
I don't have time to submit my notice period registration. What should I do?
Please give me the best advice!
Apr 4, 2025
85
Can a Pakistani expat register a second marriage in the UAE without disclosing the first? 0
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.
Apr 7, 2025
133
I got a work permit and entry from a Dubai employer for work. What documents do I need to carry? 0
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?
Apr 14, 2025
20
Tenant refuses to vacate despite legal notice for renovation. What are my options? 0
Dear All,
I own an apartment, and a year ago, I sent a legal notice for renovation to the tenant. However, the tenant is refusing to leave.
I have my drawings, and the company is ready to proceed with the work, but the tenant still refuses to vacate. What should I do?
I know I need a technical maintenance report from Dubai Municipality. How can I obtain it, and where?
Thank you all!
Mar 25, 2025
75
Can a Muslim convert marry in the UAE while separated from a non-Muslim ex-husband? 0
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?
Apr 7, 2025
132

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183 183 answers •
View allThe landlord refuses to wait for days beyond rental cheque due date. What to do? 0
Dear sir/madam,
My rental cheque is due tomorrow and unfortunately, I’m not able to honor it. I asked my landlord to wait a couple of days but he doesn’t want to wait and said that he is going to cash the cheque tomorrow.
Of course, the cheque will bounce, what would be the procedure then?
Do I have a certain amount of days before eviction to pay the rent?
Sep 25, 2022
481
What happens when the property is sold mid-lease? 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
Does the existing tenancy contract between the tenant and the previous owner remain in force even after the new landlord has purchased the property in the middle of an ongoing lease?
And when should a new tenancy contract be made?
Should it be made immediately after the property has been sold, or at the end of the ongoing tenancy contract signed between the previous owner of the property and the tenant?
Also, does a new contract have to be in place for the tenant to exchange the cheques, or does the existing tenancy contract with the previous owner remain valid for the purpose of exchanging the cheques?
Apr 5, 2023
769
Evicting an employee from school accommodation while a labor case is pending 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
I was wrongfully terminated by my school under Article 44 on March 20th, 2023. I have a case in the labor courts, and the first hearing is on April 4th, 2023.
However, my employer is asking me to vacate the school accommodation. I asked the Ministry of Labor and the courts, and they informed me that the school cannot evict me until the case is resolved.
Is this information correct?
I am currently unemployed and have nowhere else to go until I find another job.
Apr 3, 2023
128
If I have a travel ban in KSA, can I travel to the UAE on a work visa? 0
Hi,
May you and your family be blessed.
I'm extremely tense and need your kind feedback on the following issue.
If I have a travel ban in KSA, can I travel to the UAE on a work visa?
I have been visiting Dubai on a tourist visa without any problems.
The ban was imposed because I had to leave KSA suddenly and could not return after an exit-entry, and I was unable to pay back my car EMI and credit card payment totaling 30k SAR, which I intend to pay off gradually now.
When I left KSA, they only had my fingerprints at the time. I also understand that while coming for a visit to Dubai, only a retinal scan is done.
On the other hand, when obtaining a work visa, UAE takes and registers fingerprints as well. Could this lead to any issues for me?
I have finally obtained a better-paying job after a long time and can finally save up to pay off my debts. The case registered for which the travel ban is imposed is only for SAR 16000.
As of now, I cannot afford to hire a lawyer to check in UAE.
Thank you for your help!
Mar 29, 2023
1883
Tenant's rights: Can my landlord evict me, raise my rent, and ban my pet? 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
My landlord wants to evict me from the property where I reside. They have not provided a court order for eviction within the past 12 months.
Additionally, they are requesting a 40% increase in rent and are insisting on a 6-month fixed-term renewal, despite the RERA index indicating no such increase.
Furthermore, they have included an unreasonable clause that prohibits pets, even though I have lived on the property with a pet for over three years.
What options do I have if I do not agree to these demands?
Mar 16, 2023
448
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