Q: I'm an Indian Muslim expat living and working in the UAE. My marriage was solemnized in India. We also have a two-year-old son. Due to irreconcilable differences, I have informed my wife and our families that I wish to file for divorce. My wife has a residence visa valid till May 2019 but she (and my son) have not been in the UAE since December 2018. As I live and work in the UAE, I want to file for divorce here. While my in-laws are ok with a mutual consent divorce in India, my wife will not be returning to the UAE. I would prefer to file for divorce in the UAE as I'm not familiar with the law in India. I also don't want to deal with any potential false charges that could hamper my ability to come back to the UAE. While my in-laws have not indicated any such actions, I want to prepare for the worst-case scenario. I also would want to have legal visitation rights to him, even if he lives in India post-divorce. Can any lawyer help me understand my legal options in this case? Thanks.

Q: Hello lawyer! I need an expert advice from you. I was married 3 years back and my husband and inlaws cheated me on his medical condition (i.e. he had both kidneys removed and transplanted his mother kidney). A year after my marriage, I was pressured and tortured for not having a baby. I was very worried, and hence, got all my tests done and alhamdulillah everything was normal. The doctor also checked my husband and as a result, his reports were negative and the reason for that was associated with his transplant and medicines. He and his family behaviour is getting worse day by day, and hence, I am planning to get a divorce from him and wanted to know my legal rights and process to go further. I am living with my parents since 9 months and my husband hasn't supported me in any way. Now, he has started defaming me on social media also. I would be very thankful if you can help me in this regard.

Q: We are in the process of getting a divorce and we have 3 kids. Custody will likely be given to the wife and guardianship to father. Can she take the kids and move from our current home in Dubai to Abu Dhabi just because she works there? Our family has lived in Dubai since 2004, my current job and kids school are also based in Dubai. Please advise.

Q: I am looking for someone who can help me and my witnesses to prepare for a witness hearing in a family (divorce) case. And also to get more specific information about the process of a family case - as a foreign law will be applied.

س: السلام عليكم، زوجتي تركت بيت الزوجية لأكثر من 3 أشهر بدون سبب. كيف أرفع قضية رجوع لبيت الزوجية؟

Q: Dear sir/madam, If there is a police or civil case against an individual, will the spouse be affected in any way or questioned?

س: السلام عليكم، حدث خلاف بيني وبين زوجتي في بلدي الأم وبعدها تركتها في بيت أهلها وطلبت من أبيها أن تبقى عنده في مصر. بعدها بفترة طلبت مني إلغاء الإقامة الخاصة بها لأنها تعمل وجهة عملها ستُصدر إقامة خاصة بها. بعد ٣ أشهر فوجئت بها تكلمني وتقول لي أنها موجودة في نفس البلد معي، ولكنها وصلت البلد بدون إذني وعندما جاءت لم تأتِ إلى المنزل، ولكنها أجّرت استوديو لتقيم فيه هي وابني، وأنا لم أقطع عنها المصاريف من يوم سفري حتى الآن. الآن أقامت قضية طلاق في محاكم دبي منذ شهر تقريبًا، ولكنها لم تقل أي شيء عنها وذهبت لها في المدينة التي تسكن فيها وأجرت فندقًا وجلسنا يوم للتخفيف وهكذا وفعلاً تم التخفيف ولكنها أخفت عني موضوع القضية حتى استقبلت رسالة من المحكمة بميعاد جلسة الاستماع الأسري، وعند مواجهتها قالت لي ألم تكن تعلم بموضوع القضية، قُلت لا طبعًا. الآن كيف أثبت نشوز زوجتي حيث أنها الآن أمضت ٦ أشهر خارج المنزل؛ منهم ٤ أشهر حتى الآن بدون إذني خارجه. وأيضًا حاولت أكثر من مرة إرجاعها المنزل ولكنها كانت ترفض بحجة أنني يجب أن أتصل بوالدها؟

Q: Hello, I kindly ask for clarification of the following situation: The Dubai Family Court of First Instance gave the father visitation rights, and he has a Sharia Execution Case for implementation. At the appeal, it was a tragic verdict: the judges rejected his visitation rights because the marriage was invalidated due to religious differences. - Is this decision implemented automatically, or is there an execution procedure, with an execution writ, similar to the first instance? - Is it possible for the father to still meet the child until the execution procedure is completed? - Does Chapter 5 of the Federal Decree by Law on Promulgating the Civil Procedure Code, which deals with Executing Execution Writs and Decisions Related to Personal Status Matters, apply to the appeal or only to the first instance? Thank you!

Q: Hello, For a defamation case, based on a Google review. If the police require a criminal case filed within 3 months, how does the police prove the point at which the complainant became aware of the review/defamation in order to check it is within the 3-month limit? Thank you

Q: Dear Lawyers, My estranged husband filed a false criminal complaint against me out of revenge. He claims I forged his signature for a car sale that he fully agreed to while in jail in 2022 but now denies out of spite. He was arrested in 2022 on drug trafficking charges and imprisoned at Al Barsha Jail. He agreed to sell our car (registered in his name), so I had a Power of Attorney (POA) drafted, which he signed while in jail. When I attempted to have it notarized, I was informed that the POA had to be processed from jail. I notified him, and he instructed me to proceed with the sale, assuring me he would finalize the paperwork after his release. The buyer, a family friend, took the damaged car (with flat tires, a dead engine, and a dead battery) based on trust and my husband’s verbal agreement. Now that he has been released, he denies agreeing to the sale and is falsely accusing me of forgery because I have refused to meet with him. He has physically abused me multiple times and has used threats of violence against my family to stop me from leaving. Please, I need legal advice on how to fight these false charges.

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.

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.