Q: My divorce case is going on in Dubai court, my ex has my child passport. In this case, can I put a travel ban on my child since I fear he will run away with the child when the case is ongoing?

Q: Hello, How and where can I directly apply a travel ban on my daughter, as to not allow my wife to take her outside the country without my knowledge? And how much does that cost approx?

Q: My husband left me and his son a year and a half ago and traveled back to Russia without even canceling his work visa. He contacted me recently claiming he divorced me under an exceptional condition in Russia so that he doesn't take any financial responsibility towards his son. I am the sponsor of my son and I pay everything for him for the last 4 years. He is 7 years old and goes to a good school in Dubai. My question is if his father decided to come back again as a tourist, will he be able to issue my son any exit pass or even be able to take him out of the airport without my permission? My son's passport is with me.

Q: My wife put a travel ban on the kids while we work through a divorce. It's 3 years of ongoing battle in court. The child's passport has to be renewed in the home country. Can the travel ban be removed to renew the passport as the child had to be physically there?

س: السلام عليكم، طليقتي تطلب أصل جواز سفر ابني بحجة أني مغادر الدولة. لدي تحفظ أن تستخرج جواز أجنبي لابني كما فعلت لنفسها؛ حيث دفع أهلها مبلغًا كبيرًا للحصول على جواز أجنبي من دول الكاريبي. تعهدت بإبقاء الجواز مع أقاربي في الإمارات لوقت الحاجة، ولكنها رفضت وهددت بأخذه عن طريق المحكمة. أرجو نصيحتكم وشكرًا!

Q: If the court of first instance has granted me full custody of my child, do I get to keep the passport of my son or does my son's father keep it?

Q: Hello, I am a Hindu Indian woman who recently got divorced in Dubai, with joint custody of my 1-year-old twin boys. My husband (also Indian and Hindu) imposed a travel ban on me before the divorce case. What are the ways to remove the travel ban? I need to return to my country, as my financial situation here is challenging (even with the maintenance). Will I be able to take my children with me if I secure a job in Australia?

Q: Hello, I have been granted a divorce with joint custody of my twin boys (14 months old). I now wish to relocate to my home country, India, but my husband wants to stay in Dubai. He placed a travel ban on the kids before filing for divorce, and it is still in effect. Are there chances of obtaining permission from the Dubai court to relocate to India? I don’t have any family members in Dubai, making it difficult for me to care for the two kids.

An interview-format article covering the topic of custody and guardianship in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

الأسرة هي عماد المجتمع، ويدور صلاحه مع صلاحها وجوداً وعدماً، فأن فسدت الاسرة فسد المجتمع؛ ولذلك اعتنت الشريعة الإسلامية بتنظيم العلاقات الاسرية أيما عناية. فالزوج والزوجة هما الأصول التي يتفرع منها الأبناء، فإن لم تستقِم العلاقة بينهما انعكس ذلك على بقية أفراد الاسرة من الأبناء وبالتالي فسد مجتمع الأسرة. وفي دولة الامارات العربية المتحدة يولي المشرع اهتماماً بشؤون الأسرة من خلال قانون الأحوال الشخصية الإماراتي وتقنينه من وقت لآخر بإجراء عدد من التعديلات عليه لكي يتماشى مع أوضاع الأسرة المختلفة.

Joint Custody in UAE Law Article 10 of the Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status for Non-Muslims shines a spotlight on the significance of Shared custody following divorce. This article recognizes joint and equal custody as a right for both the father and mother post-separation or divorce.

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.