Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allWhat can be done if your customer is not paying your invoices?
10
Q: My firm (based in the UK) is owed $57,500 for providing materials and event management services for a Dubai-based business called International Premier Tennis League.
They have failed to pay my invoice or any of the individual skilled craftsmen and technicians I recommended they hired to deliver the events which we delivered in December 2016.
What I'd like to do is recover my money and possibly make sure that the business behaviour of the IPTL management team is not repeated (it must be a crime to commit business services to a project without ever having the means to pay for it).
Any help or advice appreciated, please.

Jun 13, 2017
13354
Enforcement of Small Claims Tribunal judgement for credit card
7
Q: I have an old credit card which I was paying until October last year.
Due to job loss and then I got a new job at 30% lesser salary, I started paying the bank under a settlement plan from January but missed 2 payments in between.
I have paid 5800 last month and 3000 this week, but the bank is asking to pay more 2400 to cover up for the missed payments which I told them I can't.
They are saying that they will cancel the plan and file a case in DIFC SCT court and there I will have to pay the full amount (AED 50K). There are no fines in the DIFC court & maybe I'll be ARRESTED.
So, please let me know what is the process at DIFC SCT court and if they will arrest me in case I didn't pay the full amount.

Jun 15, 2019
1108
Recovery of the invoice amount from a client
4
Q: Hi.
I have tools and hardware small business. I supplied goods to one company in Dubai and the payment is pending since May 2017.
The total amount is AED 59,652, and the company owner is not giving any reply nor picking up any calls. In this situation, what do I do?
I don't have any PDC cheque, I have the company's LPO copy & Inv-do!

Feb 24, 2019
1623
Legal blog
3 available 3 • View allHow to Get Paid if You Are a Small Business? 6
An interview-format article covering the topic of getting paid for small businesses in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Feb 15, 2021
490
How to Increase Chances of Getting Your Invoices Paid in the UAE 0
An interview-format article covering the topic of how to increase chances of getting your invoices paid in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Feb 24, 2021
701
Payment Orders in the UAE 4
An interview-format article covering the topic of payment orders in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.
Mar 24, 2021
1357
Laws & Regulations
3 available 3 • View allFederal Law No. (18) of 1993 Issuing the Commercial Transactions Law 19
This Law applies to merchants, as well as to all acts of commerce carried out in the UAE by any person even though he be not a trader. Commercial matters regarding which specific Federal laws are issued shall be subject to the provisions of such laws, and to the provisions hereof which do not contradict with said laws.
Sep 7, 1993
33028
Federal Law No. (10) of 1992 On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions 14
The provisions of this law On Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions (Law of Evidence) govern evidence in civil and commercial disputes in the UAE.
Jan 15, 1992
19100
Federal Law No. (5) of 1985 On the Civil Transactions Law of the United Arab Emirates 96
The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.
Dec 15, 1985
148437

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689 689 answers •
View allDoes 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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I purchased a rented apartment in Abu Dhabi. Can I evict the tenant immediately if there is no Tawtheeq contact? 0
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?
Mar 25, 2025
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Can the new owner use the old eviction notice to re-rent at a higher rate? 0
Hello,
My landlord issued an eviction notice stating an intention to sell.
He has since sold the property before the eviction date, and now the new owner intends to use the old notice to evict me and re-rent the apartment at a higher rate.
Is this allowed?
Mar 24, 2025
117
Charged in a fight case marked as a "temporary matter." What does it mean? 0
Hello,
I have a criminal case for fighting, and it is now in prosecution. The decision shows “a temporary matter” as both parties are accused. What does it mean?
I have not received a call from the prosecution yet.
Apr 17, 2025
23
Is a bounced rent cheque case considered a criminal record for U.S. visa applications? 0
Hello,
My rent cheque was bounced, and my landlord filed a case against me in Sharjah Court. I received a fine of 2,000 AED, which was later reduced to 1,000 AED upon appeal.
Does this case count as a criminal conviction under UAE law, or was it handled as a civil matter?
If I apply for a U.S. visa, will I need to submit court records under the requirement for applicants with past convictions?
Apr 15, 2025
44

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22 22 answers •
View allHow can I resolve a travel ban with an expired passport and a bounced check case? 0
Hello,
I have a civil case for a bounced check and a travel ban. My passport has expired and can only be renewed in my home country.
Due to the travel ban, it is not possible to exit and renew the passport. With an expired passport, I can't work.
What are the options in this situation? Can my wife take this case and start paying in installments so that I can go to renew his passport and come back?
Thank you!
Jun 28, 2024
163
Does the prenuptial agreement need attestation before filing the marriage application? 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
My partner and I are non-Muslim expatriates who want to apply for a civil marriage in Dubai.
I'm looking for a lawyer to draft a prenuptial agreement to submit along with the marriage application in Dubai.
Should the agreement be attested and legalized before it can be filed with the marriage application?
May 17, 2024
181
Developer asks for full year's service charges despite purchase at year-end. Can I refuse? 0
Hello,
I bought a property from a developer in Q4 2023 and got the keys handed over in November 2023.
They have returned to me to pay additional service charges for the entire year although I purchased the flat from the previous owner in the last quarter of the year.
I sent them multiple emails to explain the reason behind it and to ask them to send any legal statement showing that the new owners are responsible for paying additional fees, though this is unfair from my perspective as I have been the owner of the property starting from Nov 2023.
Some friends told me that they received a letter from their lawyers which they sent to the developer questioning this procedure and refusing to pay this.
Since I don't have such a statement to send to them as well, is there any opportunity for somebody to help me in writing one, hopefully getting the chance not to pay the additional fees?
Thanks!
May 10, 2024
501
المستأجر في السجن. كيف تجدد زوجته عقد الإيجار؟ 0
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،
يوجد مستأجر سُجن بسبب قضية وحاليًا تسكن الشقة زوجته وابنه وهي تدفع الأجرة بدون أي تأخير. انتهى العقد.
هل يمكن تجديد عقد الإيجار تحت اسم الزوج وزوجته توقع مكانه؟ أم يجب ترك العقد بدون توقيع؟ أم يجب إبرام عقد إيجاري جديد باسم الزوجة وفي هذه الحالة يمكن تغيير الشروط والأحكام والقيمة الإيجارية؟
أرجو منكم الإجابة!
May 15, 2024
197
If someone has a case of consensual sex in 2018, can he return to Dubai? 0
Dear Sir/Madam,
If someone has a case of consensual sex in Dubai (2018), can he return to Dubai?
Is he still punishable?
May 8, 2024
251

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3199 3199 answers •
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
69
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
72
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
59
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
84
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