Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
9 available 9 • View allWhat can be done if your customer is not paying your invoices?
10
Q: My firm (based in the UK) is owed $57,500 for providing materials and event management services for a Dubai-based business called International Premier Tennis League.
They have failed to pay my invoice or any of the individual skilled craftsmen and technicians I recommended they hired to deliver the events which we delivered in December 2016.
What I'd like to do is recover my money and possibly make sure that the business behaviour of the IPTL management team is not repeated (it must be a crime to commit business services to a project without ever having the means to pay for it).
Any help or advice appreciated, please.

Jun 13, 2017
13341
Claim for outstanding amounts against provided services

2
Q: Hi,
We are a technical & cleaning service provider. We worked on the facade cleaning of Hotel Apartments and submitted our invoice on the 18th of March 2018.
As per our contract, we receive our payment within 15 days after the submission of the invoice. But this time we are chasing them for the 15 days period which was on April 4, 2018.
Every time we ask, their finance department was replying that the signatory is not available. Yesterday, the 28th of July, we arranged a meeting with their GM and discussed everything with him.
We were shocked that the GM said: "Go to the police, we will not pay you anything." I replied, "Why"? He said, "The management is not willing to pay anything to anyone".
We have the contract with them, a copy of the submitted invoice, and photos of all work progress.
Advise us, what should we do?
Regards,
S. S. H.
Managing Director


Aug 26, 2018
1608
Holding the final payments for provided services due to a mistake
1
Q: While closing the contract and final payments are overdue, the client is claiming that they will not release such overdue payment because of a mistake that my technician did during his performance of activity which falls under our scope of work.
This mistake had cost the client around 100k AED as fine from ADDC plus another 100k AED against modification of the work done by the client after the mistake happened to comply with ADDC requirement.
Does my client have the right to do so, knowing that there is no limit of liability clause in our contract but our contract is under the UAE law?
Please advise.

Feb 20, 2019
413
How to claim the amount of an invoice from client who is not paying

1
Q: My firm (based in Dubai) is owed AED 140,000 for providing manpower services to support catering operations for a Dubai-based business head office in Abu Dhabi.
They have failed to pay my invoice since Sept 2017, we keep chasing them all but management changed and they don't bother to attend any emails or calls.
What I'd like to do is recover my money with late fees and all legal fees. It's quite a long time now. They are a reputed group of companies and it seems they are not willing to pay.
Please note that all documents are in place such as the agreement, invoices, and delivery notes.
Any help or advice is appreciated, please.


Mar 26, 2022
281
Legal action I can take against a client refusing to pay the invoice of provided services?



2
Q: I am owed payment for an invoice for services rendered but the client refuses to pay despite promising to do so.
I have tried unsuccessfully for 9 months to get the payment. It is AED 35,000. I have an LPO and proof in writing from the client that he would pay.
What are my next legal steps?




Jul 25, 2022
324
How to recover unpaid funds from a guest who left without paying?



1
Q: Dear Sir/Madam,
We are a registered company that provides accommodation in Dubai. One of our guests partially paid for his stay and claimed to have an issue with the bank.
He promised to pay the remaining amount before departure, but left the property without informing us and left an unpaid bill of 6000 AED.
After departure, the guest apologized for the delay in payment and assured us that it would be paid shortly. However, the payment has not been made yet.
It has been over a month now, and the guest continues to acknowledge the debt and promises to pay as soon as he has funds (there is proof of this through multiple messages).
The Dubai police have informed us that they cannot assist with this type of claim.
Please advise on the best course of action and whether there is a chance to recover the unpaid funds.




Apr 15, 2023
255
Our company provided services to a hotel in Dubai and did not get paid. How to claim the amount?



2
Q: Hi,
We are a company in Dubai specializing in floral decoration projects.
In Ramadan 2023, we did a project for a hotel in Dubai and at that time, it was discussed that half payment will be done after the project gets finished.
But it's been more than 2 months and we haven't got the payment yet. We have all the legal LPOs and emails from them. Now, they won't receive calls or reply to emails.
When we send the team to the hotel, the security won't allow us to go inside. Is there any legal way to deal with this?
Please help.




May 11, 2023
183
How to collect the amount of an invoice from a client who keeps delaying payment?



0
Q: Hello,
We are providing services to our customers in 2022 and 2023.
Our accounts staff sent the client a copy of the invoice, but they delayed it, so they were unable to make the payment.
Is it possible to collect the amount from them?




Jan 19, 2024
80
How can we recover an unpaid amount from a UAE client after years of non-payment?




2
Q: Hello,
My company worked with a company in the UAE, where we developed software for them. However, they refuse to pay us any amount. We have signed contracts, but it has been around 2–3 years.
Is there anything we can do to recover this amount, which is about 80,000 AED?
If so, what documents do we need from our side?





+7
Feb 5, 2025
90
Legal blog
3 available 3 • View allHow to Increase Chances of Getting Your Invoices Paid in the UAE 0
An interview-format article covering the topic of how to increase chances of getting your invoices paid in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Feb 24, 2021
691
How to Get Paid if You Are a Small Business? 6
An interview-format article covering the topic of getting paid for small businesses in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Feb 15, 2021
478
Payment Orders in the UAE 4
An interview-format article covering the topic of payment orders in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Mar 24, 2021
1342
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allFederal Law No. (5) of 1985 On the Civil Transactions Law of the United Arab Emirates 96
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.
Dec 15, 1985
148342
Federal Law No. (11) of 1992 Concerning Issuance of the Civil Procedures Code 42
The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.
Feb 24, 1992
75278
Federal Law No. (10) of 1992 On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions 14
The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes in the UAE.
Jan 15, 1992
19086

Other answers by
213 213 answers •
View allWhen to claim an inheritance in Dubai while being abroad and which law is applied ? 0
Dear sir/madam,
I would like someone to be honest with me. I am in the UK. How long have I got to claim inheritance in Dubai?
I was reading in the Gulf News that the laws of the country of the deceased at the time of death can be applied regarding the will.
Is this true or false? I am really looking for these two questions to be answered first. Can anyone help me with this, please?
Mar 25, 2022
406
I seek to cancel a purchased property and get refund for delay in handover 0
Dear Advocate Sweta Singh,
I am from India and in Sep 2018, I purchased an apartment in a hotel. The hotel has not been completed and the delay is more than a year.
They have not paid any compensation as per the contract, nor do they talk about it. I have paid more than 80% in installments and paying it regularly.
Please help me, guide me on how to cancel the deal and get a full refund, or any other way which helps me recover my investment.
Regards
Mar 9, 2022
339
Is it possible to apply a will issued in South Africa in the UAE? 0
Dear questioner,
My father (Muslim) has passed away in South Africa. He leaves behind 4 children, his wife (our mother) and his own mother.
He had a will for South Africa in which, I (oldest son) am executor. The will does state that it encompasses all property and assets wherever they may be.
He has various properties and assets in the UAE. My questions are:
1. Does his will have power in the UAE or will it be divided by Sharia?
2. What documents are required to wind up his estate?
3. What is the wind-up process within the UAE?
Feb 22, 2022
459
How to access the bank account of my son who passed away recently? 0
My son tragically died in Dubai and his salary has been paid into a UAE HSBC bank account.
My daughter also lives in Dubai and has an HSBC account.
How can I access my Son's bank account, please?
I live in the UK.
Feb 17, 2022
358
How can we access the bank account of a deceased person? 0
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.
Feb 10, 2022
267

Other answers by
95 95 answers •
View allHow can I file for divorce in the UAE as an Indian Christian with a son, and ensure custody? 0
Hi, good morning,
I’m an Indian residing in the UAE and want to apply for a divorce. My husband and I have been living separately for more than 3 years, and he has been living in India since our separation.
We are both Indians and Christians (non-Muslims). We have a son who is 8 years old now. Can you please let me know the divorce procedure if we want to proceed in the UAE, both with and without mutual consent?
Additionally, please advise on how to proceed with custody, as my son currently resides with me.
Thank you!
Aug 28, 2024
138
How to transfer the shares of a company from his heirs to the partners? 0
A company is registered in a free zone (Dubai South) and had 4 shareholders.
But now one of them passed away and the successor is a very old lady, who is not cooperative and will not be able to sign any document at all (and she lives in another country).
We have no idea who will be a successor after this old lady and these people will in fact never be interested to do anything with this company.
The company is financed and managed by only one shareholder, who is willing to continue.
What can be done in this scenario to keep this company and continue operations?
How to transfer the shares of the deceased shareholder (buyout, shares transfer)?
Is there any court procedure where if no one claims their rights after some time, the shares will automatically be transferred to the company itself or the third parties?
Thank you.
A.
May 15, 2023
102
My flatmate took a video of my visitor in the toilet half naked without permission 0
My flatmate took a video of my visitor in the toilet half-naked without permission and shared it with another person, and accusing me of taking another nationality which is untrue.
What will be the cases to file a case?
May 12, 2023
225
Retrieving a passport from a car impounded for driving without a license 0
Hi sir,
I drive a car in Ajman without a license. On a visit visa those days, Ajman police caught me and I forgot my passport and other belongings in the car.
They impounded the car, so how can I get my passport back from the car?
My case is finished.
How do I get my passport back so I can apply for a visa and then a job?
Please suggest me.
Thanks!
May 2, 2023
117
What is the time limit to execute a judgment? 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
Time limit to execute a judgment.
I won a court case about 5 years ago. I still did not register an execution lawsuit.
What is the maximum permitted time limit between the verdict and registration of the related execution lawsuit?
Apr 27, 2023
770

Other answers by
313 313 answers •
View allCan the landlord request the tenant to pay the chiller in the middle of the contract? 0
I live in Dubai Marina, and the landlord claimed that according to new Dubai Land regulations, the chiller now has to be paid by the person occupying the apartment.
Even though my contract says that the landlord should pay the chiller, they want to implement this mid-contract.
I understand that the terms upon renewal will be renegotiated, but on what grounds can they implement the change mid-contract?
Does a new DLD regulation precede a tenancy contract? Moreover, I am receiving a disconnection notice from the chiller company due to non-payment.
What can I do if this happens?
Please advise.
Mar 23, 2022
1572
Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled? 0
Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled?
Feb 16, 2023
719
Does the new property owner have to sign a new contract with the tenant? 0
Hi,
I'm a new landlord of the property which is already rented.
Kindly advise, do we have to sign a new tenancy contract with the tenant for the remaining period? And who will pay the cost of Ejari?
Feb 16, 2023
2539
Cleaner's resignation with 30-day notice in incomplete contract 0
Hello,
Good afternoon!
My friend works as a cleaner for a cleaning company and she now wants to resign with a 30-day notice. However, she has not completed the two-year contract and has only served for 16 months.
Additionally, she has not taken any vacation leave. The sad part is that when she signed the offer letter, she did not receive a copy of it and only signed it.
I would be very grateful if you could let me know if she would have to pay or if her boss has the right to not accept the resignation if the notice period mentioned in the offer letter is more than a month.
Her boss has not provided her with any kind of proof that she can use in the future if anything happens.
Feb 13, 2023
543
The ownership of a code of a web application 0
Hello,
I represent a tech-based marketplace company registered in a Freezone, in the UAE.
This is in regards to the UAE's law regarding the ownership of code when there is no clause mentioned in the agreement. One of our products (web application) is being developed by an agency in the UAE.
While we do have agreements in place, there is no clause regarding ownership of code. In the situation mentioned above, I've heard that the ownership of code either goes to the author or the agency that employed the author. Is this true?
Your assistance and help would be of great help.
Sep 7, 2021
306
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