Q: Hello, I’m a Pakistani national. My father had an apartment in Dubai and he’s no more with us. I want details regarding legal documents which I need from Pakistan to initiate a case to transfer that apartment by inheritance law in Dubai.

Q: How long does it take for a non-Muslim expat with no will to obtain a succession certificate in the UAE?

Q: Legal heirship certificate for a person who lived in the UAE but now lives in India and died.

Q: My father passed away in Pakistan. He has a property and bank account in Dubai. Can a legal heir succession certificate issued in Pakistan be used for accessing his assets?

Q: A family member (non-muslim, ex-pat, female) passed away. She was registered in the UAE and has a UAE working/residency permit, alongside a company registered in the FFZ. It appears there is no will. She has no UAE real estate. She has no children and was never married. She has a living mother and sister, alongside an adopted sister with whom no one has a contact. 1) How will heirs be decided? Using home country law or sharia? Can we choose? How do mother and sister show proof of lineage? 2) Using the inheritance law of our home country, the adopted sibling is seen as a full sibling. It will be a 1/3 division between the three persons stated above. Can a court in UAE overrule this part of home country inheritance (e.g. incompatible with UAE laws) and skip the adopted sibling? 3) Can legal heirs (e.g. mother, full blood-related sister) agree to a different division if heirs are decided? E.g. the sister wants to include her children as heirs. Or does this have to be done after the money transfer?

Q: A UAE national family member is not getting the assets list as the other family members are not providing it to him. Where can the person get the assets list of his father's assets from? He already gave a POA to his brother. How will he get his inheritance?

Q: Hi My father passed away. I stay out of Dubai and my brother asked me to give an absolute POA. I gave them, and now I ask them to give me the assets list and they are making excuses. Where I can get a copy of the assets list for my inheritance from? I am a UAE national. Thanks

Q: Dear Lawyers, My father passed away in India and was a resident of the UAE, holding a Dubai visa at the time of his death. He held two LLC trade licenses under his name, with 4 partners. All partners are the wife and sons. What is the procedure to remove my father’s name from the trade license? I have the death certificate attested by the Indian Embassy in the UAE. Please advise!

An interview-format article covering reasons why a non-Muslim expatriate should have a will in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW. Ludmila sheds light in this article on the right time and place to start the procedure based on tested practices in the UAE.

Do you have assets in the UAE? Have you made a will yet? It is highly recommended to register a will soon, otherwise, the drive to asset disbursement can be extensive and expensive. In addition to the option of registering a will in DIFC for Non-Muslim will registration, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) had also introduced a separate office since August 2017, which has made the entire will registration process easier and cost-effective.

The United Arab Emirates is a Sharia-Law country with respect to personal status and inheritance. In accordance with the UAE legislation, the UAE Courts will adhere to Sharia Law in a situation where there is no proper Will in place.

The article states the currently available options on how to set up a Will in the UAE. The expatriate (non-Muslim) testator has several options on how to protect the assets in the UAE and how to appoint guardians for the minor child(ren) habitually residing in the Emirates.

A new civil personal status decree has been introduced in the emirate of Abu Dhabi by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. This personal status decree will be applicable for non-Muslim foreigners based in Abu Dhabi in matters of marriage, divorce, Will, inheritance, and custody of children.

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.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.