Q: I have separated from my husband for almost 12 months. Our daughter lives with me. He sees her a few hours a week when he wants. He is her sponsor, I am on a work visa. He is holding her passport. I am concerned that he may take her and leave the country without my permission.

Q: Dear sir/madam, I am a 27-year-old Emirati woman. I have left to the USA to work and study and I am back here on vacation. My father is threatening to put a ban on me in order not to allow me to travel, but I am way above the legal age; turning 28 in 3 months. Is this possible? And can I do anything to stop it?

Q: Hi, I need your help, please. My wife wants to travel abroad for studies but we are not financially able to cover the studies and accommodation cost. I don’t want her to go for the studies and I want to stop her. She is stubborn and she wanted to leave as I know it will make trouble for both of us and I don’t want to see her surviving abroad and we don’t have anyone there. She already got the visa and she is planning to travel soon. She even said if you stop me then I will leave you. I want to know my legal rights, please. I want to stop her and I want to keep her here in the UAE. Am I legally authorized to do so? I am just concerned that it will not be a problem for me if I will keep her here forcefully. Please let me know if I stop her forcefully, will it be acceptable as per the UAE law. Please let me know as I am so tense mentally and I am doing this for the sake of her betterment. Thanks

Q: I have custody of my child and we're planning to go to Umrah, but my ex-husband is not giving permission. What can I do? Can I obtain permission from the court, and how long might that take?

Q: Hello, I am a Hindu Indian woman who recently got divorced in Dubai, with joint custody of my 1-year-old twin boys. My husband (also Indian and Hindu) imposed a travel ban on me before the divorce case. What are the ways to remove the travel ban? I need to return to my country, as my financial situation here is challenging (even with the maintenance). Will I be able to take my children with me if I secure a job in Australia?

Q: Hello, I have been granted a divorce with joint custody of my twin boys (14 months old). I now wish to relocate to my home country, India, but my husband wants to stay in Dubai. He placed a travel ban on the kids before filing for divorce, and it is still in effect. Are there chances of obtaining permission from the Dubai court to relocate to India? I don’t have any family members in Dubai, making it difficult for me to care for the two kids.

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.

Joint Custody in UAE Law Article 10 of the Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status for Non-Muslims shines a spotlight on the significance of Shared custody following divorce. This article recognizes joint and equal custody as a right for both the father and mother post-separation or divorce.

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.