Q: Dear Madam, I’m working for a company in Abu Dhabi. My friend/colleague (Non-Muslim) expired in December 2018 (without a will). He lived in Abu Dhabi for more than 20 years and had an account with money and National Bonds. What is the procedure to withdraw the money & National Bonds of the deceased from the account? His wife is in India and not able to visit the UAE. Kindly help me to know the procedures.

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

Q: Madam, I work for a Dubai company. My friend/colleague expired in August 2018 while he was on duty in Dubai. What is the procedure for claiming the end of service benefits? His wife already got the Power of Attorney from India, attested by the Indian embassy. Kindly help to know the procedures to claim. She is planning to come to Dubai next month for processing this. Thanks & Regards

Q: Hi, My father passed away some time back and he has assets in India, like property, etc. Can we make a legal heirs document in the UAE for use in India? What are the process and requirements? Thank you!

Q: Hi Rajasree, Wishing you a good day! In regards to inheritance cases, for the witnesses, does it only need to be male witnesses? Can these witnesses be of any nationality? Do they need to be related to the person registering the case? Thank you in advance! Sincerely,

Q: My father has passed away in Pakistan after serving 17 years in a private company in Dubai. The company has refused to pay his gratuity due to a lack of funds. In case I need to apply for a labor case, what are all the documents required? My father had two wives, my mother being the first wife and my stepmother (currently living in Morroco with my two young stepsisters) and both of them are out of the UAE.

Q: Who issues an inheritance declaration? Is it issued by the dead person or by the bank or the government? I need to know if I can inherit from a relative and they said that my name should appear in the inheritance declaration. Is it the same as the will? Because he died without writing a will.

Q: Hi there, My husband and I are Muslims. My husband passed away recently. We have a Canadian will, but I understand that it won’t be honored as I am named the sole beneficiary, and that does not align with Sharia laws in the UAE. He was not a UAE resident but had a small apartment with no Will in the UAE. We have 3 children. I am planning to go to Dubai to start an inheritance case. I don’t know the exact order of events and what needs to be done first. 1) Do I initiate anything from overseas before making travel plans to Dubai, or do I start once I arrive in Dubai? Mind you, we cannot afford to stay in Dubai for too long, as the kids have school. 2) Do I need a lawyer, or can this be done by myself? 3) I understand all foreign documents need to be authenticated before presenting them to the court. But I don’t know at what stage I would need these documents authenticated. I would appreciate it if you could provide a breakdown of the steps, the forms that are needed, and where I can find them. Thank you

In 2016, Dubai introduced an exceptionally unique solution to entertain basic asset protection needs to Foreign Investors and Expat Residents living in Dubai. They can now be 100% sure their assets are fully protected against any problems that may arise because of the forced heirship system applied by the Sharia Regulations in the United Arab Emirates, or any other conflict between the religious laws of succession between the person and the state where he lives and invests.

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.

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.

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.

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.