Q: I have a question for a lady who is one of my relatives here in Sharjah. Unfortunately, her husband died in Pakistan while she was here in Sharjah along with her 3 kids. Now she wants to get/transfer her husband's bank account to some Dubai bank to her name or withdraw money. As I understand from previous posts, these are the steps she needs to follow: 1- Get death certificate from Pakistan. Should it be attested from Islamabad UAE embassy or can it be attested in the UAE itself? 2- Get a Legal Heir Certificate from Dubai courts as there is no WILL made by her husband. Is the death certificate only required to apply for this certificate? 3- Should the above 2 documents be presented to the bank to get the account access? Please let me know if my understanding is correct. It will be a great help if you could mention complete details in case an extra step or information are required. Thanks & Regards,

Q: Hi I need to access my husband's bank account in the UAE. He died and I have legal heirship and death certificate both attested by the UAE embassy in India, where he died. What is the next step? Do let me know. Thanks

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: Dear Madam, We had a friend who died last year in Dubai. His wife and kids are in India and could not travel due to the daughter's illness. The person had some money in the bank and national bonds. What is the procedure to get the money? She cannot travel. Can any other person help her if she gives a power of attorney? Or his company can help the wife to get the money? Thank you!

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 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.

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.

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.