Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allCustody of children in the UAE
66
Q: We separated with my wife almost a year ago and my 4-year-old daughter stays with me and her nanny in my apartment full-time. I am taking care of all the expenses and supporting her with all needed. And I want everything to be the same after divorcing.
Would it be possible for me to get custody in this situation? What are the fees of the family lawyer in Dubai?

Jun 9, 2016
30088
Right of the wife to seek custody and maintenance upon divorce

1
Q: I am a UAE national. My husband and I are divorced and were building a house on our government land. We divorced and I applied for a house at Iskan because my parents are dead and it may be likely that I will take custody of my children.
I went to Iskan to tell them my situation, they told me I should come back in three years, I have a steady income and it's possible that I will remarry.
However, my income is not enough since I will be barely surviving and will not be able to put away savings for my retirement. At this point, the way I would live is no different than an expatriate.
I don't have a problem waiting for three years, however, where am I meant to live for 3 years? Not to mention, I'm old enough to receive a pension. Remarrying is out of the picture.
I was also told by Iskan that I am not eligible to receive land or a government house since my name was included under the government land that my ex-husband and I were building.
There should be loans for women in my situation. Any advice?


May 14, 2020
361
Seeking justice and stability for ex-wife and daughter after divorce


3
Q: Hello,
I am in the UAE. I got divorced 2 months ago. I still live in the house of my ex-husband with my daughter who I got custody of.
He owes me money. The court ordered him to pay and the execution was approved. I pay the school expenses of my daughter as he was not paying. I spent 35000 for that as well as expenses for this year's school.
I don’t have money to move out and rent a place since he is not paying me anything. He moved his new wife in and is threatening and harassing me to get out.
Because I have no home and he has, he claims that he will keep my daughter and kick me out.
What should I do?



Jan 9, 2023
224
Legal blog
4 available 4 • View allHighlight on the New UAE Child Protection Law 1
Parents have welcomed the UAE’s new child protection law which is a pivotal source to help to provide children and youngsters with a safer and happier living in the UAE.
May 18, 2016
1827
Tips on Winning Legally at Court and out of Court 2
Winning the Lawttery - what it means to 'win at all costs' in the courtroom and what are the implications of a legal victory. UAE lawyer Diana Hamade shares through this article tips on winning legally while navigating through all possible ways to avoid losing while winning.
Jul 18, 2019
2365
Custody & Guardianship in the UAE 4
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.
May 6, 2021
3104
Drug Crimes Under UAE Criminal Law 2
A legal concept upheld by the Federal Supreme Court states that drug use is not prosecuted by UAE courts if the offense occurred abroad. A positive drug test is accepted as proof of drug use, but it does not reveal whether the drug use occurred domestically or abroad. It is necessary to establish the crime's location in order to decide if the UAE courts have the authority to investigate it or if foreign courts should have jurisdiction over it.
Feb 2, 2024
595
Laws & Regulations
1 available 1 • View allFederal Law No. (28) of 2005 On Personal Status 24
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.
Nov 19, 2005
49088

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View allWhat can I do in case of odometer tampering, false ownership information, and a flood-damaged vehicle? 0
What can I do in case of odometer tampering, false ownership information, and a flood-damaged vehicle?
What is the procedure for filing a fraud complaint about these issues?
Mar 21, 2025
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Is the compensation for notice period deducted on the basis of full salary or basic salary? 0
Hello,
I understand that if anyone wishes to resign without serving their full notice period, they are supposed to compensate the employer for the remaining time that they didn't serve the notice, also known as "notice Compensation".
Is this notice compensation deducted based on the full salary or on the basic salary?
Mar 21, 2025
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Can a registered company work with a freelancer who does not have a freelancer permit? 0
Hello,
Can a registered company work with a freelancer who does not have a freelancer permit?
At the same time, they are employed by another company.
Mar 21, 2025
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Can I hold the delivery of goods to a buyer outside the UAE if he defaulted on payment? 0
I, as a UAE-based Seller, entered a sales agreement with a KSA-based Buyer. The Buyer defaulted on the LC payment, breaching the contract.
The goods are stuck at the port as they need original documents, which I am holding to recover the outstanding balance.
They later made a partial payment but now threaten to cash the PBG (UAE bank) I provided if don't release the document.
The contract mandates DIAC arbitration but lacks a governing law clause. I need advice on:
1. Which law applies to this dispute?
2. Where can I seek an injunction to prevent PBG encashment, given the Buyer’s bad faith and breach? Or should I send a letter to their bank with the brief above?
Kindly advise.
Mar 21, 2025
49
Does unpaid leave include weekends if they fall within the leave period? 0
Hello,
If I take unpaid leave and a weekend falls in between, will the weekend also be counted as unpaid leave, meaning I will not receive a salary for those weekend days?
Thank you!
Mar 23, 2025
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View allHow can I be exempted from paying the 5% court fee, and where should I go to apply? 0
Hello,
How can I be exempted from paying the 5% court fee, and where should I go to apply?
Mar 18, 2025
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Can we claim and sell a liquidated customer’s goods to recover debts through Dubai Courts? 0
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?
Feb 6, 2025
70
I purchased an apartment, but the previous landlord refuses to vacate. What to do? 0
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?
Feb 4, 2025
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What happens if a person does not show up at the first instance of a divorce hearing? 0
Hello,
What happens if a person does not show up at the first instance of a divorce hearing?
Feb 1, 2025
84
My hair was damaged by a very known and professional salon. Can I seek refund and compensation? 0
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.
Jan 31, 2025
55
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