Q: I'm a US citizen from New York currently residing in Washington USA with my sister. I moved to Dubai around 3 years ago. I was working there but quit my job few months after I got married in Dubai on December 24, 2015. My husband is from Pakistan and resides in Dubai. He was living in my apartment after our marriage. As he physically and mentally abused me, I decided to leave Dubai, sell my stuff and come here to my sister. I had reported him to the police who had given him a warning letter. My first concern is how can I make sure he does not take away my daughter? Either he may come here or he may try to gain custody through Dubai Courts. Please let me know how I can have full custody of my child. Also now he believes he's free from any responsibility and said he will not give a single penny. Our daughter is 8 months old and US citizen as well. I need child support for my daughter. How can I get this? For my husband divorce is a joke. He said it multiple times and threatened me also.

Q: I and my wife are going through the divorce. We are both expats. I work and she does not work. I am her sponsor. We have a one-year-old daughter. Who gets the custody of the baby after divorce? Once we get divorced, who will be her sponsor in the UAE? Does she have to leave the UAE? If she gets the custody, how can she stay in the UAE without a sponsor? If she does not have a sponsor, can I get the custody of my daughter? 

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: My ex-husband and I just received the final divorce judgement from the court. I was granted custodianship of my daughter along with both her Jordanian passport and Canadian passport (I am her sponsor). If I wanted also to enforce a travel ban in the UAE, how much should this cost approximately? Or can I file it myself? Is it just an application request or an actual court procedure?

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.