Q: Dear Sir, My sister's husband hits her, uses abusive language and accuses her of unfaithfulness, in front of kids who are 10, 6 and 3 years old. He also regularly misguides the children about their mother. Can she file a divorce? If yes, then how long will it take? Also, the kids are on her visa. She wants to keep the kids; how will the court support her as she is highly indebted in the process of relieving the husband's loans? Both spouses are Pakistanis and married in the UAE in Dubai Courts, 10 years ago.

Q: I want to file for divorce. We are Muslim family, married in Dubai under Sharia court. He is an American citizen, I am Romanian citizen and we have a 2 years old daughter. Please let me know where can I go to file for divorce?

Q: I married in Poland, my wife is Polish and I am English. For the past 3 years, she has refused to live here and now has no residency visa. We have a 13-year-old son, and she is pregnant. She organized this by IVF treatment which was from a spermicide sample of mine without consultation. I am considering whether I can divorce in the UAE where I am a resident, and what would be the financial implications of doing so.

Q: Hello, I live with my husband's mother in the same home. she is always abusing me verbally and emotionally. I have been suffering a lot. I asked my husband to provide me with a separate home but he keeps refusing. I don't want to continue living with him. I want to get divorced. Please advise me!

Q: Is the wife obliged to live with parents in law? The wife is European and the husband is a UAE national.

Q: Hi I have applied for divorce in India against my husband. For the past 12 yrs, I have suffered a lot mentally and I took this decision to get separated. I work in Sharjah and I can take care of my 10 yrs old son. My husband drinks, abuses me, doubts me and behaves very bad, even after I have warned him many times I will take a divorce. He used to tell me always to go out of his house. Now I have told him a case has been registered and he will get a notice from India. Suddenly his behaviour is changed and he is saying he will not divorce and he won't give my son to me. India lawyer told me that as he is a minor he has to be with me only. I am planning to live separately. Kindly advise me, can I go to a local police station and get a notice to leave my son to live with me peacefully? Even my son has suffered a lot. Kindly advise me.

Q: Hello, Can you please help me with some questions? I am a non-Emirati woman married to Emirati. I have two kids. I want to know what can I do against verbal and mental abuse?

س: السلام عليكم، في ليلة الحادث الموافق ٢/٣/٢٠٠٥ وبعد الساعة ١٢ ليلاً نفَّذ المتهم (س) جريمته التي صمم فيها على قتل أهل زوجته التي على خلاف معه والتي تركت دار الزوجية مع أطفالها إلى دار والدها فحمل البندقية العائدة له بعد أن ملأها بالعتاد وتوجه إلى دار عمه والد زوجته وأطلق النار على الباب ففتحه. لما دخل الدار أطلق النار على والد زوجته وعلى زوجته وابنته وبعدها خرج من الدار شقيق زوجته المجاور لدار والده، وبعد أن ركّب الجاني مخزن جديد للبندقية وخرج إلى كراج الدار أطلق النار على شقيق زوجته ذلك لاعتقاده أن والد زوجته وإخوتها يمنعون زوجته من العودة إلى دار الزوجية. المطلوب: التكييف القانوني للواقعة.

Q: I was married for 13 years and was the main income provider to my husband and daughter, bearing all expences. My husband first fell into an affair, then we divorced. After realizing that he can not benefit from my earnings anymore, he started to demand from me money for our jointly mortgaged home which I keep and was paying solely despite it being on 2 names in the mortgage contract. So together with his mistress, they decided to act as i am abusing my daughter - which is not true. He was making up stories, going to police and hospitals taking reports, and letting his mistress attend doctors with my daughter without my knowledge. He is using this to blackmail me to mentally abuse me, teaching my daughter to lie and manipulate me. I want to file a case and prove the abuse, blackmailing, and psychological damage to my child and me. What is the medical facility where I can get a psychological behavior report for my child to prove that he is doing this all on intention and consistently to fulfill his financial plans?

An interview-format article covering the topic of divorce for expatriates in the UAE and seeking to apply the laws of their countries. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

An interview-format article covering the topic of the legal & psychological effects of COVID-19 on marriage. 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.

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.