Q: Scenario: My wife has gone to her father's home 1.9 years ago (within the UAE) & now she has filed a case that I should provide her & our daughter with a separate home & cover up other living expenses which I can't afford & this can be proved via financial statements as I am under loan. I am living with my parents (4-bed villa) and we are 4 people living here. She had a separate room, bathroom; all necessities of life are covered here in my father's home. She initiated the case at family reunion council & I went there & it didn't work. The reason she states "doesn't want to live with my parents at the union council". In this period of 1.9 years, I myself & many other relatives have tried to sort out the matter but no success. On a number of occasions, I have asked her to come back. Proofs available (Whatsapp messages). My question now is should I open a case of home return on her or defend the case opened by her, which is better? Or if there is some other suggestion, please feel free to mention.

Q: Hi, I am married but don’t have a certificate to show it. I was reported for a bounced cheque and when police asked me for my statement, they asked if I’m married and I answered yes. I have a 2-year-old son who was born outside the country. Will I be charged with sex out of wedlock? Thank you

Q: Hello, My husband has filed a divorce case after 11 years of our marriage. The marriage took place in India as per the Hindu Marriage Law. I appeared before the court on 20th June with my documents. I was asked to bring my documents after translating them to Arabic. I do not want to give him a divorce and I am a financially dependent woman on him all alone in Dubai as an expat Indian wife. I do not have enough money to hire a lawyer. What should I do? Do I need to keep a lawyer or I can get my documents translated to Arabic and submit to the judge? Since I don't have money to give the lawyer, is my husband legally liable to provide me with the lawyer fees for the divorce case? Or is there any lawyer who can fight my case and get his legal fees from my husband? I need urgent help as the next hearing is after two weeks.

Q: Dear sir/madam, My husband and I got our marriage solemnized in India in front of 35 people conducted by a church priest but we did not register our marriage. It is the 2nd marriage for both of us. We have a letter from the church for the marriage. My husband approached me from Dubai when I was in India and now I am also working in Dubai. We have been together since then until May 2022 in Dubai, whenever I called my husband to register our marriage, he refused. Later I found out that he has an affair with a lady in India and he even stayed with her together in a hotel for 2 days when I caught them with the Police in India. I found out recently that my husband has hidden our marriage from everyone; he has informed his company that he is single. Can I email his employer with our marriage proof, and inform them that I’m his wife, to add that to their records? I really want to do that because marrying and living with me for 7 years and spreading false information that he is not married has affected me mentally.

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.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.