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.

Hi I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest. My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right? Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat. Please answer me. I want to know my rights. Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know. They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

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!