Q: Child custody question. Divorce in Dubai. Minor son is 4 years old. If the father is Muslim and mother is non-Muslim, what are the requirements of the father to get custody of the child? Is the relative who has to stay with father required to be a Muslim? Will a 1-bedroom apartment be sufficient?

Q: Dear, I have been recently divorced in Abu Dhabi. My ex-wife converted to Islam in order to get a sharia divorce, though during our marriage she's always been a Christian. She has gained custody of the children, I had guardianship. As I had no employment in the UAE, end of March, I had to return to Belgium. Since then she has blocked any contact with my 2 boys. This weekend, I found out she is pregnant and is living with her boyfriend and my children in our flat (we own it) in Abu Dhabi. On top of that, she has stolen most of my belongings (family souvenirs, all my photography equipment). I want to know what I could be doing, being in Belgium right now. I want to get my kids, I don't want her to get away with being pregnant, unmarried (she made me suffer and accused me of many lies). Her law firm is Al Rowaad!

Q: Hi, In the case of divorce, child custody will go to who? I am the mother and my baby is 5 months old. Is there a chance that the child will be given to the father? And what are the reasons if the child will be given to the father and not the mother?

Q: Hello, I am an Indian living in Abu Dhabi since 2007 and my wife who is now on her company's employment visa moved out to a separate house beginning of 2021 along with my 6-year-old child (who's also on her sponsorship visa). Now she's not letting me meet with my son whereas my son has clearly expressed that he wants to stay with me permanently and doesn't want to stay with my wife. What are my legal rights in terms of: a) Visitation rights b) Custody of my child Best regards

Q: I’m divorced from my husband. He is a UAE citizen and I’m from Europe. We have a 4-year-old daughter who lives with him after divorce. One thing that concerns me is that he doesn’t have a special nanny for our daughter. Is it required by law that after divorce if the father gained custody over the child he has to have a special nanny for the child? He lives with his mother but she is around 65 years old. And there is a housemaid who does all the housework including cleaning, cooking and she is the one looking after my daughter. So does he need a special nanny for the child or is it considered that his mother has to look after our daughter despite her age?

Q: My ex-wife is now living with her boyfriend. And she has custody of our daughter. When I asked my daughter if that guy is living with them, she said that her mother told her it was a secret from me and not to tell me anything. Obviously, my ex is refusing that he is living with them. Can I do something about it?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I finally got divorced from my husband due to abuse and lack of financial support since marriage. We have a son together, but he is not paying for his son even though I have a court order that he must pay child support monthly. My question is: I want to get remarried, I know that he can take my son away from me. Is there any way I can get remarried in the UAE or outside without him taking my son? He has not asked to see or spend time with his son in over a year and a half, and my son is only 2 years old.

Q: A police complaint was filed for physical assault and alcohol abuse. The wife left home without the child and later was interviewed by social support. The wife was guilty after admitting the truth and gave a written statement to visit a psychiatrist and take therapy. She didn't adhere to the agreement. Followed by a court case, divorce was granted to the husband based on infidelity, neglect, alcohol abuse, failure in maternal duties, verbal abuse, and misuse of social media under article 7 of federal law 41 of 2022, and the wife was obligated to pay expenses and fees under Article 133 of the Civil Procedures Code. The child has been physically with the husband since October 2023 and the entire expenses and well-being are taken care of by the husband. The ex-wife irregularly visits the child, doesn't provide personal or financial support, forces the husband to give the child a passport and doesn't want to raise it with the court, and continues to distress claiming that she has not given custody of the child. Should I raise a case for proof of custody or child custody?

An interview-format article covering the topic of divorce for expatriates in the UAE and seeking to apply the laws of their countries. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

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.