Q: Dear Ms. Rajasree, I would like to seek your assistance in the processing of a succession certificate and the release of bank funds to the heirs of my deceased husband. My husband died in Dubai on October 5, 2020. The bank has confirmed that death benefits on loan insurance have been credited and is on freeze due to legal and court documents needed. I and my 3 children are currently in the Philippines. Kindly advise on how can we process all the documents needed? Thank you very much!

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My name is R. A. K. s/o A. K., Pakistani national, currently working here in Riyadh- KSA in an office admin position. We need your cooperation regarding my late father (Mr A. K.) bank account matter. My father died in the UAE on 31 Oct 2012, because of a heart attack. We received his documents which show us that he had a business in scrap and a bank account in the UAE in a bank, and that account he used and issued cheques to some companies which is a million UAE dirhams. We just want to check his account details/all statements to know further about his business and account amount. I have all the documents including birth certificate. Kindly requiring your advice. Thank you.

Q: Hello, I am a Chinese national who came to Dubai for my father's inheritance case after his passing earlier this year. My father owned 2 LLC companies with the same local sponsor, one of which he had a 49% share and the other 25%. I wanted to inherit the shares and exit the companies but was told there's nothing for me and my family to inherit. One of the companies is more than 20 years old and the sponsor refuses to show me financial statements for these companies. What can I do, please?

Q: My uncle died 2 weeks ago in one of the private hospitals here in Dubai. We have already completed everything regarding the repatriation of his body with the help of his employer and his remains are already sent back to our home country last week. He used to give me an access of his ATM card before and I tried to access it just few days ago and I found out that there is some amount of money left on his bank account. I am aware that he has some pending bank loan requests before he died, so I am afraid that amount might be the reason of such big amount. Being the only family member of my deceased uncle, what should I do in order to make sure that the amount is from his savings and not from his bank loans? In case the amount is proved to be his own savings, is there any chance for me to get the authorization to claim that amount from the bank to be used by his family? He has a wife with 3 kids back home. Thanks a lot in advance.

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.

An interview-format article covering the topic of the new amendments to the laws in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.

Inheritance matters can be intricate, especially in a jurisdiction like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where local laws and international considerations intersect. Understanding the procedures to obtain a succession certificate or legal heir certificate is crucial for the rightful distribution of a deceased's assets.

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 apply to the commercial companies established in the UAE and the foreign companies that have established in the UAE a base to conduct any activity therein or established a branch or representative office. The Law abrogates Federal Law No. (8) of 1984 Concerning Commercial Companies.