Hi, I am a non-Muslim indian expatriate, residing in Dubai since 2015. The first 5 years, I was on a working visa, and after the delivery of my first baby, I left my job and became dependent on my husband. In 2018, we bought a house together where I invested AED 2 hundred thousand from my income (I have proof in the form of a cheque). I also paid AED 3300 monthly installment for 1 year, for a personal loan taken out for the house. But in spite of my resistance, my husband tactfully put the house in his name, so the title deed was in his name. In 2024, when my kids and I were in India for vacation, he cancelled our visas and residency. He also filed for a divorce in India. The divorce is not yet finalised, and we are still married. Since August 2024, he hasn't let me access my house in Dubai, so I filed a case, which eventually went in my favor in January 2025. Since I used to travel on a visit visa, I left for India and returned in March, to find out that my husband had already sold the house. The new owner is residing there. What can I do now? Help!

Hello, How can I be exempted from paying the 5% court fee, and where should I go to apply?

Hello, Our customer has gone into liquidation, and we are shipping goods to Saudi Arabia. We have stopped the shipment and requested payment of their outstanding balance. How can we request to take ownership of their goods to sell in order to recover our outstanding invoices? Is this possible in Dubai Courts?

Hello, I bought an apartment, but the previous landlord is refusing to vacate it. The contract clearly states that the landlord should hand over the apartment on the day of the transfer. Out of courtesy, I gave him three days to vacate so he could find a new place to stay, but the time has passed, and he is still refusing to vacate and hand it over. What should I do in this case?

Hello. I went to a very well-known and professional salon (or so I thought) for a normal hair dye. The guy who did my hair left the dye on my hair for over an hour when it was supposed to be on for a maximum of 30 minutes. He wasn’t paying attention to me walking around the store talking to everyone and also doing another customer's extensions. Now my hair is potentially damaged, my skull burns, and is flaky (meaning the dye wasn’t ammonia-free which is extremely unprofessional for such an expensive salon). I didn’t even get the outcome that I wanted and the dye color doesn’t even show. I talked to him about it but he shut it down so fast and gaslit me the whole time and made me feel like I was the wrong one and I was ‘complaining about something so light’. Please let me know what I can do legally about this. Thank you.

Dear Lawyers, My brother was sentenced to 25 years in jail for a minor drug case (1 gram) on October 24, 2024. Can he get bail? What will happen next, and what can I do to help him get released? Kindly advise!

Hello, I have a question. My husband had a loan 15 years ago, he had difficulty paying this loan, and the bank opened a case, which was solved, and he paid the full loan. He is still in Dubai and has a good work position. How is it possible to remove the solved bank case from the database to have the possibility of getting the credit card and loan? Thank you.

Good Day, As someone unfamiliar with local laws and a non-Arabic speaker, the police took my statement but did not provide a translation and told me to sign. I have no idea what they wrote or presented in the case. The case is now with the Public Prosecution. What should I do to ensure the authorities are aware of this?

Dear Lawyers, My husband is under investigation, and I want to get him bailed out from detention. However, I am a visitor. Can I get him bail by providing my passport?

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!

Hello, An investor has a residence visa valid until February 2027; however, he wishes to close the company before the current license expires in December 2025. Can the investor still legally reside in the UAE until the residence visa expires?

My new employer is not changing my visa status and refuses to provide cancellation papers, especially when I don’t recall signing any cancellation documents and haven’t received my gratuity yet. How can I register a complaint against my employer for holding my passport after visa cancellation? I had completed my one-month notice period and followed all procedures properly when I resigned. I'm currently working in a free zone company.

Hello, I had a case regarding fraud by technical means, and we did a tanazul. It was attested and submitted to the court, but the case still hasn’t been dropped and is now with the public prosecution. What do I do now, as I need to travel urgently?

Hello, We are a building materials trading company based in the UAE. We supplied materials worth AED 50,000 to a customer around 8 months ago, but despite repeated follow-ups and reminders, no payment has been made to date. We would appreciate guidance on the following: 1. What legal action can we take to recover the amount? 2. What documents should we have ready (e.g., delivery notes, invoice, emails)? 3. How long does the legal process typically take in the UAE for such cases? 4. Is there a recommended timeline or deadline after which legal steps should be initiated? Thank you in advance for your advice!

السلام عليكم هل يسجل الطفل قانونياً بالإمارات (أب إماراتي يحمل جواز من الشارقة ، أم وافدة) في حال كان الفرق بين عقد الزواج الشرعي والولادة تقريباً 166 يوم أقل من 6 أشهر؟ هل يمنع من استخراج شهاده ميلاد؟ وما هي الإجراءات والعقوبات المتوقعة؟ مع العلم بأن الأب معترف بالطفل قبل الزواج وبعده. شكراً

Can I travel with a non-paid telecom bill in the UAE if my visa is canceled?

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?

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.

السلام عليكم، نحن شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة ولدينا كفيل إماراتي صوري، ولكن بالرخصة التجارية هو شريك. هذا الكفيل صاحب أخلاق عالية ولا خوف منه ويعرف نفسه بأنه ليس بشريك فعلي. السؤال: إذا، لا سمح الله، توفي فقد نخوض مشاكل قانونية مع عائلته، فما الحل القانوني الذي يمكن أن ننجزه معه الآن ضمانًا لحقوقنا مستقبلاً؟

السلام عليكم، هل يحق للبنك في إمارة دبي أن يرفع دعوى جنائية أو مدنية ضد عميل لم يسدد مبالغ الفائدة بل سدد فقط المبالغ التي قدمها البنك أصليًا (مبلغ القرض فقط)؟ منحه البنك بطاقة ائتمانية بحجة أنه "قرض حسن بدون فوائد"، وبعدما استخدم العميل البطاقة الائتمانية بفترة زمنية قصيرة وفجأةً تم إرسال رسالة إلى العميل تفيد بأن هناك مبالغ متراكمة بسبب الفائدة البنكية بقيمة ٤٠٪؜ من القرض الأساس المُقدم إليه. علمًا بأنه تم تزويد العميل بالبطاقة الائتمانية عن طريق البريد السريع لعنوان منزله بدون طلب رسمي من العميل بذلك، بالإضافة إلى أنه لا يوجد أي من المستندات التالية بين البنك والعميل: ١- عقد. ٢- اتفاقية. ٣- شيكات كضمان. ٤- سند أو شريعة أو قبول خطي أو غير خطي أو توثيق يتضمن أي توقيع من الأطراف؛ بمعنى آخر، لا يوجد أي اتفاق على الإطلاق. العميل سدد المبالغ التي استخدمها ورفض دفع مبالغ الفائدة البنكية المضافة سالفة الذكر. الرجاء الإفادة ولكم جزيل الشكر!