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.

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?

Hello, My wife's company renewed their insurance and registered my wife as single, so the maternity benefits are not covered, even though we were already married before she joined the company. She is now 35 weeks pregnant. What should we do?

Hello, My employee provided a resignation. Our company offered a salary raise and made a deal with him where he agreed to continue with us, but it’s not on paper. He suddenly stopped coming to work, stating he doesn’t want to work anymore. What rights do we have as a company, and what can we do about it?

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!

Respected Advisors, I have been involved in a few criminal cases since 2017, but all of them were cleared by this year. I have obtained release letters for all the cases from the public prosecution office through an online portal. Recently, I also received my residence visa. After the visa process was completed, I applied for a PCC online. However, the request was rejected. I contacted the 901 office, and they advised me to visit the CID. I arranged for a power of attorney to be granted along with all the necessary documents to update the system. Twice I was told to come in person, but I am hesitant to do so because of my previous negative experience. Could someone please advise me whether I must go in person or if the person holding the power of attorney can handle the process? Thank you!

My father died recently. We are Muslim residents in Dubai. I have siblings including a minor who is 16 years old. My father has land and vehicles under his name. If I am applying for inheritance, does the minor need to have a share in ALL the properties and vehicles or can she be given a particular property/vehicle? Secondly, if we want the land to be in her name, and she manages it (like renting and bank), does it require an adult? Can the vehicles be transferred to someone else’s name without including her? Your guidance will be very much appreciated.

Dear Sir/Madam, I have been unfairly dismissed (it's personal on their end) and have been given only two months' salary apart from the compulsory gratuity and notice pay. I would like to claim more than two months as I am a senior executive (Director). Up to how much should I claim, and would this be a realistic amount for me to "win"?

There was a legal action against an employee who failed to participate in an international event in Saudi Arabia due to a family issue that resulted in a travel ban, which in turn led to the non-signing of an AED 100,000 deal resulting in a loss to the company. - What legal grounds exist for the employer to pursue legal action against the employee in this scenario? - Does UAE labor law provide any specific guidance or remedies for such situations? - What are the desired outcomes or remedies the employer can seek through legal action? - Are there any potential legal consequences or liabilities for the employer in pursuing this case? - What documentation and evidence are needed to support the employer's case?

Dear Sir/Madam, What are the charges to open an execution file in Sharjah for a divorce case and how much time will it take to execute the court order? My husband told the court that he does not have money to pay for me and my daughter's expenses because he is earning a minimum amount in which he can only survive. In that case, what can I do? He closed all his bank accounts and sent money to his parents in India. He also told me that he will show in court that he does not have a job or money, so the court or police cannot do anything to him. Can you please guide me on what I can do in this case? I do not have any proof of his salary or bank account because he was not informing me about anything related to his financial matters. In fact, he was forcing me to ask my parents to send money to us. Because of no proof, the court agreed with him and rejected my appeal. I do not have a job and I am struggling for basic expenses. Can I request the court to inquire about his gratuity and end of service? Or can the court ask him to submit proof of the money that he received from his company, as he was working for 30 years in the same company?

Greetings, I sent a shipment of around 40k of value to France from Dubai on the 25th of August. During the communication with the shipping company, I was informed that it will take 6-7 days. It is the 7th of September today and until now they are unable to give me an update on where my shipment is. Moreover, this delay has cost me extra money on having to postpone the ticket of the receiver in France and his extra stay expenses. Is there any official complaint, or any actions that I can take against such an unprofessional company? Appreciate your reply!

Dear sir/madam, I am a teacher in Dubai under my husband's sponsorship. I have a salary account in Dubai Islamic Bank. I need to know the legal requirements for starting an online e-commerce business for which I will need to register a company. Can I work as a teacher and run my online business as well? I want to go with the laws.

Dear Lawyers, I have a company in Sharjah FZ. I hold 51% shares and my partner holds 49% shares. I am the director, manager, and the sole beneficiary of the company bank account. We are both now under the company visa. I, as the business owner, demand a few things for him to provide before he can benefit from the company. The point of the agreement is: - The new shareholder needs to provide business development capital for AED 145,000, payment will be on several terms. Since I made the change on the license and put him under the company visa, he has been delaying paying the capital. I have been chasing him through messages and phone calls, but he is still not responding. This made the cash flow of the company a mess. 1. What legal step can I take to take him out of the company and seek compensation for the mess he made with the company? 2. Will it be better for me to file bankruptcy or to fight the legal action against him? Thank you so much, appreciate your answer!

Dear sir/madam, I have an issue with my end of service. The company made calculations on one amount and sent me the form, signed by the finance director. Now they say that there was a miscount and the amount has been reduced significantly. I need advice and assistance from a lawyer.

My husband was working in a private retail company before. While he was working with them, he helped a friend sell his friend's own designs of t-shirts through Facebook. His previous employer saw that and terminated him and they are accusing him that he is copying their designs and stealing customers by selling his friend's items while working which is not true. He threatened my husband that they will sue him and to avoid that, they're gonna remove him from work and will pay him only the days of his work (15 days) which my husband agreed because he doesn't want any trouble. That's what they did. They didn't pay him his gratuity for staying almost 3 yrs with them as well as airline ticket, vacation leave and public holidays. Now it's been a year since it happened and my husband is already working with another company and suddenly his previous employer saw him in a restaurant and asked him why he is there and threatened him that they are gonna sue him still. What do we need to do? Thank you.

Hello, My landlord vacated the property with 12 months' notice, stating he would live there himself. However, he started renting the property through the holiday homes system. Is a permit issued by the DTC for a holiday home valid proof to prove that he is renting and to claim compensation?

On Jan 2, 2025, one of my close friends did a privacy breach and recorded me and my van in some specific place. On Feb 5, when I called and asked him why he did this to me, he went and gave a complaint that I scolded him and threatened him. The same case was later closed by the PP when we negotiated outside the station and apologized. At this juncture, can I file a privacy breach case against him, which happened on Jan 2, 2025, and on Feb 5 I scolded him only for the privacy breach that happened on Jan 2?

I have a video recording of my husband beating me in our garden. Can I show this in the child custody hearing? It was filmed with my phone camera

Hello, My partner voluntarily withdrew from our company which we established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We established this company on July 1, 2024. Until now, there is no income or revenue. What is the legality?

Hello, I'm in Canada, and I filed for divorce. My husband, who owns a real estate company in Abu Dhabi, kidnapped our children and took them to the UAE to avoid the divorce and force me back to him. My children are twin boys, 8 years old, and a 10-year-old girl. What can I do? I want to follow them and take my children back, but he says his local Emirati connections will file criminal cases against me and have me jailed if I go there. What can I do remotely? Does the UAE return kidnapped children to their mother? In the UAE, a guardian cannot legally kidnap their own child; what does this mean for my case? If I report him, what happens to my children? Will they be held until I arrive to take them?

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.

Hello, What happens if a person does not show up at the first instance of a divorce hearing?