Q: I’ve lost my job due to COVID-19. I am a school teacher. My school will open in September. I have a credit card with a bank. What legal action can I do? No means of paying them for the meantime.

Q: Hi Maam, Good day! My bank emailed me that they filed a civil case against me since I have not paid my credit card amount 50,000 AED for almost 8 months now. I lost my job due to COVID 19, I am totally broke. Now my question is: I finally found a new job, they are working on my employment visa but I am very anxious; thinking that this pending case against me may affect my employment visa application! Will this be a reason for future visa rejection? Please enlighten me!

Q: I was working in Abu Dhabi. I have a personal loan amount of 82000 and 20000 of a pending credit card bill. I lost my job due to the current COVID pandemic. When I came to India for my annual vacation, my employer terminated me and canceled my visa. I was not able to come back. Even tourist visa possibilities were less. As everyone in India aware that this job loss and paying back the debt of a UAE bank is very tough. I am ready to pay some small percentage of the amount to the bank as a settlement. Is it possible?

Q: My husband was terminated from his previous job. He has found a job after 4 months. When he went to get his visa cancelled, he found out there is a civil case of AED 100,00 on him due to a bank loan default. Please advise, can he get his employment visa done and start his new job? I am afraid he will lose this offer if things don't move quickly. Please advise

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Due to the pandemic, I lost my job in 2020 and was not able to pay 3 months of my loan, since I need to prioritize my roof and food for whatever money I have. I was a good payer for almost 3 years. I have 18 months left to pay. Unfortunately, they filed a criminal case against me last Sept 2020. I settled and paid the fine at the police station. However, until now they keep on calling and threatening me, this time of the civil case. What is the effect of the civil case in applying for an employment visa? According to them, my outstanding balance ballooned again to 33500. If I don't have the means to pay it, what will happen to me? Please advise. Thank you in advance.

Q: Hi, I had taken a personal loan from a bank (it's now under a different name) back in 2018 for AED 260,000. Then I left the country and continued to pay for a while, but then I couldn't and now in Dec 2020, they have filed a civil case. I would like to know if I hire a lawyer for my case to clear, would that help to solve the issue or should I try contacting the bank to negotiate? Not sure if the bank will negotiate to close the outstanding as I was told by a friend that banks have insurance on the debt that is lent. And if there is a civil case, they can claim insurance for the lost money rather than negotiating especially after a civil case is registered. Is that true? I want to clear my name at the earliest but I don't have that much money (now AED 293000 with interest and late fee). In a civil case, what are the proceedings if I hire a lawyer? And does it help to get the amount of payment lowered? If so, how much lower can the court order to close the case and how long would it take? Thanks.

Q: Hi sir, Good morning! A person is arrested for a cheque case in Dubai. How long will they put him in jail if he is overdue on his visit visa? Please help me with this! Thank you!

Q: Hello There, I am a bank defaulter. I had a bank loan and credit cards in the UAE. Due to a job loss in 2009, I had to leave the UAE. My intention was to repay the amount and I did pay for some time until I was misguided by the bank employee. I have a job offer now and wish to go back to Dubai again. I can't afford to pay in one go but small EMIs. Kindly advise.

Q: I have a personal loan and a credit card and due to job loss, I was struggling to find a way to pay the dues. I have 3 months' dues left and my credit card as well is pending. I did inform the bank about the job loss, however, they have bounced the cheque and a travel ban has been initiated. Now I'm paying back the dues little by little, however, the bank called and asked me to pay an amount that I cannot afford at this moment. They are proceeding with the full amount recovery procedure. Recently, I have acquired a low-paying job and have asked the bank to give me 2 months of time to stabilize things. However, they refused and said they could not. What can I do here? Please suggest a way out here. My last visa got canceled and currently on a visit visa. Will I be able to get an internal visa extension here? I want to continue here in the UAE, but the bank is making my life hell and giving me mental breakdowns and torture by collection calls.

As the world is currently experiencing a major lockdown and suspension of almost all commercial and civil operations, the question arises in the novelty of Coronavirus outbreak on how serious it is to be dealt with as a Force Majeure.

The management of individual financial affairs is crucial and all the actions must be weighed down while committing to any financial liability. Whether it's job loss that may have lead to financial failure or the opposite, one must be aware of the personal liability which will not diminish by paying fines for cheque bounce cases. There are two major types of liabilities, criminal liability and civil liability. Each has its own significance, hence, must be dealt with accordingly.

What shall I do if I have a bounced cheque? You need to contact your lawyer as soon as possible to issue a travel ban against the person who issued the bounced cheque. It should be noted that time plays a very important role in bounced cheque cases.

The UAE attracts a large population of expatriates from around the world for business or leisure. It occurs sometimes that those expatriates violate the rules of their visas and incur overstay fines which accumulate the longer they stay beyond their visa's expiry date. This may result in travel restrictions, banning violators from entering the UAE for a certain period or lifetime. The UAE authorities have now announced a two-month scheme for violators to rectify their situations.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

By this Decree Ministry of Labour of the UAE has removed the six-month labour ban for those who changed the job before completing two years of service. Labour ban will be still applicable for workers that qualify for skill level 4 and 5 under various circumstances.