Q: PROPERTY INHERITANCE Property Inheritance (without a will) and closure of business including recovery and debt payments. I am an Indian. My husband, 44yrs, passed away on 11 Jan leaving behind a business (sole proprietor) that needs to be wound up and a house with a mortgage in his name. The house is currently rented with a tenancy contract ending 31st March 2021. Questions: 1) I want the ownership of the property. How do I do so without applying Sharia law? 2) Can we continue the tenancy contract till the title deed is transferred to my name? Closure of business My husband was running 2 garages under a PROFESSIONAL license as a sole proprietor with payables and receivables overdue; including employees, landlord, and suppliers as well as business loan and credit card debts, etc. 1. Will his liabilities affect my property ownership? 2. Can I get legal help to sell his business/legal license to pay employees and creditors with the help of his sponsor? What are my rights?

Q: Hi, My father, who is an Egyptian Moslem and never was a resident of the UAE, has 4 properties in unfinished developments in Dubai who he was paying instalments on. We (the heirs - myself, my two sisters, and my mother) would like to transfer the properties in our names so we can continue to pay the instalments. I understand we need to file a case at the Personal Status Court to obtain a court order and give it to the Dubai Land Department to update their records based on the Dubai Court Order. I have the following documents: - Father's death certificate attested by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and UAE embassy in Cairo. - Inheritance certificate stating that we are the legal heirs attested from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and UAE consulate. - General PoA from my sisters and mom to myself attested from Egyptian Foreign Ministry and UAE consulate. - Passport copies of all of us including my dad. - Contracts for properties from developer. Do I need anything else?

Q: We are Hindu. My brother expired in the UAE recently. A) My brother had registered a civil execution case in Dubai courts. I have applied for a succession certificate. Is this sufficient for me to register my name in the execution court as the person who will make petitions and collect any payments that the debtor makes? Or do I have to mention this existing lawsuit in the inheritance file? B) A company had issued an acknowledgment of debt in the name of my brother, but they refuse to pay. What steps do I need to take at family court for the inheritance so that I can, later on, start a commercial lawsuit to collect the debts that the company owes to my deceased brother? Do I need a letter from the family court that allows me to start a commercial case on behalf of my deceased brother? Thank you!

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.

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.

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.