I recently purchased a rented apartment in Abu Dhabi and agreed to honor the existing lease. After the transfer, I discovered that the lease is not a Tawtheeq contract, meaning it is not officially registered. Since I am not receiving rent (as it was a non-refundable arrangement with the seller), I prefer not to issue a new Tawtheeq. I also want to avoid a formal notice to vacate to prevent disputes, as I plan to move in. However, I have already informed the tenant that I will not be renewing the lease. I need legal advice on the implications of proceeding without a Tawtheeq contract. What are my risks, especially if the tenant refuses to move out? What legal actions, if any, can the tenant take in this situation?

My brother has been working for a company for 11 years. In the last 3 weeks, he had an incident/accident and scratched a plane since he only had 1 person to assist him as the company was not hiring enough people. Senior staff like him are working more to train inexperienced new hires which adds to their workload working almost 12 hours/day including travel to DWC. The pilot said it was aesthetic and could be painted over but a police investigation ensued. Last week 3 managers and HR talked him down as the investigation concluded. He was terminated immediately with only this month's pay and his 11-year gratuity will not be given by the company. It was not gross negligence or malicious intent, he just didn’t have enough people to help him. He owned up to the mistake and reported the incident within 24 hours. Can he fight for the gratuity?

A person currently under a deportation order wishes to appoint a trusted person with Power of Attorney (POA) to manage their financial and legal matters, including access to their bank account and other obligations. What is the process for obtaining and registering a POA in this situation? Can it be done while they are still in custody, and what steps should they follow to ensure? Please help.

Dear Sir/Madam, The Dubai Court has frozen my bank account because I was late on an alimony payment. The money was automatically deducted from my salary this month. Will the court automatically unfreeze the account once this is done, or will I need to petition the court to issue an order to unfreeze it?

What is the process of renewing the visa while a criminal case is still ongoing? I got first instance court judgment in my favor and was declared innocent, however, the prosecution filed the appeal. My residence visa is due for renewal next week. Can I process my renewal or it is blocked till the time this case is over?

We received a cheque which has now bounced. We have tried for over a month and a half now to get a new cheque from the person, and every day he says the next day. We need the money now. We have been to the police station, and they said they can not do anything as the reason the cheque bounced is "Insufficient funds." We have been to Al Barsha - Dubai Courts, and they said there is nothing they can do about it. We are not sure what we can do. We need the money asap to pay our kids' school fees, let alone all the interest we have lost.

Hello I joined my new company on February 26, 2025. Upon joining the new company, I asked HR if it was free to join the company, and she said yes. After working with them for 1 month, I experienced a salary delay, and I had to go to the office to ask why there was a delay in my salary. That is when the HR told me she deducted my whole salary to recover the transfer fee. Now my question is, who is supposed to pay for the transfer fee, the employee or the employer?

Is it possible for a foreigner to get a divorce here in Dubai?

Hello, I want to inquire regarding my leave privileges. I am now 11 months in my company. How many leaves am I privileged to? Based on Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations and its executive regulations, you are entitled to a paid weekly rest for not less than one day, as specified in the work contract or the work regulation. The Council of Ministers may increase the weekly rest day stipulated in this article. The Decree-Law and its executive regulations also stipulate that you are entitled to an annual leave with full pay as follows: - Thirty days for each year of your extended service. - Two days per month in respect of any employee with more than six months and less than one year of service. - Leave for parts of the last year of your service in case it is terminated before you use your annual leave balance. Now my question is: do I have 22 days I can use? Can someone explain to me in detail? Thank you!

I got an order of 6 months imprisonment and deportation for a judgment in absentia by the Sharjah court for selling medicine without a license. I was not involved in the case directly; my friend used my car, and he had my bank card. They made a confession that they were working for me and made a false claim that they had transferred money to me. As I am outside the country, I came to the UAE to solve my case. I got detained at the airport, and the CID asked me some questions. I mentioned they didn’t transfer me a single Dihram, so he let me go, as the case was already open for appeal. In the first instance court, they gave me the same verdict, then I appealed and attached documents like bank statements and my company details, which were not mentioned before. They gave a date for the judgment, but it was not issued, and they gave the next date. I have been suffering a lot for the last 3 months here in the UAE and for 6 months back home. So my question is that what will happen next? Will the case be open for retrial, and will the CID be convinced by my logic? Can they drop charges, or now the court decide only?

We received a cheque which has now bounced. We have tried for over a month and a half now to get a new cheque from the person, and every day he says the next day. We need the money now. We have been to the police station, and they said they can not do anything as the reason the cheque bounced is "Insufficient funds." We have been to Al Barsha - Dubai Courts, and they said there is nothing they can do about it. We are not sure what we can do. We need the money asap to pay our kids' school fees, let alone all the interest we have lost.

Hello I joined my new company on February 26, 2025. Upon joining the new company, I asked HR if it was free to join the company, and she said yes. After working with them for 1 month, I experienced a salary delay, and I had to go to the office to ask why there was a delay in my salary. That is when the HR told me she deducted my whole salary to recover the transfer fee. Now my question is, who is supposed to pay for the transfer fee, the employee or the employer?

Is it possible for a foreigner to get a divorce here in Dubai?

Hello, I want to inquire regarding my leave privileges. I am now 11 months in my company. How many leaves am I privileged to? Based on Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations and its executive regulations, you are entitled to a paid weekly rest for not less than one day, as specified in the work contract or the work regulation. The Council of Ministers may increase the weekly rest day stipulated in this article. The Decree-Law and its executive regulations also stipulate that you are entitled to an annual leave with full pay as follows: - Thirty days for each year of your extended service. - Two days per month in respect of any employee with more than six months and less than one year of service. - Leave for parts of the last year of your service in case it is terminated before you use your annual leave balance. Now my question is: do I have 22 days I can use? Can someone explain to me in detail? Thank you!

Hello, Can I sell branded replica watches online, on Facebook Marketplace, etc.? Not in a physical store, just online.

Dear Lawyers, I signed a Form F with a buyer for the sale of my house as we were planning to leave the country. The contract was signed about a month ago, but the handover is not until August. Due to personal circumstances changing, we are no longer leaving Dubai and would like to cancel Form F. The Form F contract stipulates that we have to pay the buyer 10% of the purchase value. The real estate agent is now claiming that we also have to pay the buyer's real estate commission and the conveyancing fee. Our understanding is that the 10% penalty is the only penalty. Which is correct, and what are the next steps to dispute this? Also, is there any way to dispute the 10% itself under the law due to personal circumstances changing?

I got an offer letter from Al-Haldin Gulf Construction & Petroleum LLC. Can you please advise about the company?

Hello, I have a tenant who is always late with their payment. Their renewal was supposed to be last December 2023. Currently, they have not signed any new contract, provided any new cheques, and have stayed for three months from December until now without paying rent. Additionally, I just discovered that they have sublet the apartment with partitions, which is clearly stated as not allowed in the old contract. Please let me know what should I do legally!

Dear Concern, How long will it take to receive the cancellation paper from my previous employer? My last working day at my current company will be on April 7, 2024.

Hi, We sent a renewal notice to our Dubai-based tenant 84 days before his contract renewal, with a 10% increase in rent. The tenant neither agreed nor disagreed with the proposed rent and replied on the day of renewal that he wouldn't be paying the proposed rent. Due to the argument, the landlord decided to reduce the rent, but the tenant has not yet renewed his contract. It has been 12 days since his contract expired. Kindly suggest what could be done in this matter.