Hello, I paid a contractor (via bank transfers) to deliver a project (1BHK renovation – full), and they did not. What action can I take against them in Dubai?

I was notified by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department that a civil claim had been filed against me. I’m ignoring it. Can I just run away and exit the country easily? I guess no travel ban has been imposed against me yet. Thank you.

My brother had a personal loan of 300k. He lost his job, and the company terminated him, and his visa was cancelled, so he moved back home in 2015. He is trying to find a job back in the UAE. Is there any way to get him cleaned, paying the court fine? The bank he had a loan with has been merged with other groups, and he doesn't know who to contact. Repayment is impossible without a job, and finding a job at the age of 50 is not an easy task. Appreciate your advice. Thanks

Hello, My sister passed away and left her son. Her husband has given me power of attorney and a legal heir certificate. How can I transfer the son's visa to my name in the UAE?

Hello, How can I cancel my partner visa without the sponsor in Dubai?

Hello, I paid a contractor (via bank transfers) to deliver a project (1BHK renovation – full), and they did not. What action can I take against them in Dubai?

Hello, My lawyer has charged me more than the actual amount for registering my labour case. What should I do?

السلام عليكم، أود الاستفسار بشأن قضية إبعاد زوج خالتي من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. زوج خالتي كان مقيماً في الإمارات وكان قد وُلد وترعرع هناك. في عام 2013 تم إبعاده من الإمارات، وكان ذلك نتيجة لسياسات حكومية كانت تستهدف مجموعة من المقيمين في تلك الفترة، وهو لم يكن قد ارتكب أي مخالفة في ذلك الوقت وكان يُعتبر ضحية للسياسات المتبعة. أرغب في معرفة الإجراءات التي يجب أن أتبعها حالياً من أجل رفع هذا الإبعاد وتمكينه من العودة إلى الإمارات. أرجو أن توضح لي كيف يمكنني مساعدته في هذا الموضوع. شكراً جزيلاً.

Hello, My sister filed a criminal case against her employer (sexual harassment), and it is already with the Public Prosecutor. Her employer refuses to compensate her at all. Can we file a civil claim? When should we do it? Can we still file a civil claim after the judgment of the case?

Hello, I'm a Malaysian and have worked with a company registered in Dubai. I'm based in Malaysia and have been working with them since 2008. Recently, the company has been facing financial trouble and offered me a 60% pay cut, which I did not agree to. I offered them two options: to temporarily cut my salary by 20%, or to pay me retrenchment compensation based on my contract (which is based on Malaysian law). Please advise me on my next course of action if the company cuts my salary by 60% without my consent.

Hello, Where can I view a copy of a judgment issued by the Sharjah Court?

Hello, My boss transferred a car to my name. Unknown to me, the car was not fully paid before the transfer. Eight months later, the seller called me because my boss was unreachable. The seller threatened to take me to court because my boss didn’t pay the full amount. How do I get out of this?

Good day. For the last 3 years, the landlord's office has not responded to renew the contract, so I contacted RERA for renewal. The office doesn't respond to emails related to renewal, even though I started sending emails and reminders 2 to 3 months before expiry, and I have no choice but to contact RERA and send a notice. Once the renewal was processed by law, the landlord's office delayed in releasing the Ejari. Since it is a commercial property, my renewals are related to a staff visa, and I have to pay delay penalties. The landlord's office staff tried to take advantage of the Emirati owner, and no direct meeting was fruitful. What is the law that safeguards expats and sorts out issues without mutual compromise as they try to force their terms to be acceptable by law and not supported by any documentation?

I’m looking for legal advice regarding a hair salon incident that caused serious damage to my hair and scalp. I visited a salon for a colouring treatment, during which two rounds of bleach, which is not what I booked in for, were given to me without proper approvals, and were applied back-to-back without a strand test or proper consultation. As a result, I’ve been experiencing extreme hair breakage, daily hair loss, and ongoing scalp irritation. This has been especially distressing as I’m currently pregnant. It’s now been over 20 days since the incident, and despite multiple polite follow-ups, the salon has ignored all communication. I’m now exploring legal action to pursue compensation for the physical and emotional distress caused. I have full documentation, messages, and photos. Any guidance on the best next steps or legal routes I can take would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hello, I have a friend who has an agency that promised me a partner's visa. She told me the payment would be 7800 AED full package, then I paid over half, 4900 AED, last October 2024. But up until February 2025, I still didn’t receive any documents from her. So I decided to apply somewhere else, and I got my investor's visa already. Now, I am asking for a refund, but until now, she is not giving it to me and not replying to my messages. What do I do with this?

Hello, Can my landlord evict me if he is selling the property to someone else? I am currently running a restaurant from the location.

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

My new employer is not changing my visa status and refuses to provide cancellation papers, especially when I don’t recall signing any cancellation documents and haven’t received my gratuity yet. How can I register a complaint against my employer for holding my passport after visa cancellation? I had completed my one-month notice period and followed all procedures properly when I resigned. I'm currently working in a free zone company.

Hello, How many days do I need to wait for company cancellation following resignation and one-month notice?

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, We have an agreement with a company to supply food for their buffet on a daily basis, with invoices to be issued monthly and payment to be made every three months. The relationship actually lasted for nine months, and payment was made for two periods. In the third period, due to disagreements between our company and the company to which the supply was made, they refused to pay, noting that the outstanding amount so far is fifty-four thousand dirhams. Can we claim the amount, noting that the agreement is not written, but there are emails exchanged between us and invoices?

Hello, How much time does Dubai Court usually take to seize the amount from the bank to release my travel ban?

I’ve lived in my building for over 4 years, with the most recent rent being AED 50,000. Each year, the management collects cheques and extra AED 2,400–2,500 cash (no receipt) for management and Ejari fees. My contract was due for renewal on 15 Feb 2025, but management delayed, demanding a 10% rent increase even though no formal 90-day notice and the RERA index did not allow it. After a month of excuses, the manager called on 12 March, insisted increase to 55K, and threatened eviction if I refused. When I referenced RDC, he hung up. The next day, he again made unprofessional remarks, so I decided to go with RDC. I submitted my offer and deposit on 13th March, but the management didn’t respond. The case went to the judge on 14 April he ruled in my favor. On 30 April, I applied for the execution of the ruling, and RDC says I can renew Ejari only on 8th May at DLD with cheques given to them. However, on 1st May 2025, I received a notarized eviction notice for non-payment of rent and communication. My question is, what will happen at DLD now?

Hello, I'm from the Philippines, working here for 15 years. I have a big problem, and they have repeatedly given me a case of a cheque worth AED 73,000 for almost 9 years. Recently, they filed a case again after knowing that my case was done last October. This cheque is a guarantee cheque only for my 5-year monthly car installments. I paid for almost 2 years and have 3 years left to be paid, but I gave the person who guaranteed my car a cheque worth AED 73,000 at that time. I don't have enough requirements to get the 5-year monthly installment car, so I asked someone to help me, but my biggest mistake is that I don't have any agreement for this cheque because I totally trust him as my family. After delaying payment for 2 months because I went on vacation and came back, he asked me to visit their shop. When I went, they just called me and told me to get his things.

Hello, Is there a way out or a possibility that the authorities don't deport me and instead give me a time period to leave the UAE on my own after I have completed my imprisonment and paid the fine?

Hello, My landlord vacated the property with 12 months' notice, stating he would live there himself. However, he started renting the property through the holiday homes system. Is a permit issued by the DTC for a holiday home valid proof to prove that he is renting and to claim compensation?

I have a video recording of my husband beating me in our garden. Can I show this in the child custody hearing? It was filmed with my phone camera

We won the case with the RDC that the tenant has to evict the property. We are told there is a cooling period before they say the date he has to leave. How long is the cooling period he can appeal and then what happens next if he appeals and if he doesn't? He was served the one-year notice and then refused to leave, hence the case we raised with RDC and won. Thank you

Hello, Is it legally permissible for an employee holding a Fujairah free zone visa with a job role in sales and marketing to primarily work remotely from various locations, including Dubai, while visiting the Fujairah-based company once a week? The employee would meet clients and conduct business activities on the UAE mainland. Does this arrangement comply with UAE labor laws?

Hello lawyers, Could you please clarify the regulations regarding working hours for nursing/breastfeeding mothers in the UAE during Ramadan? How many hours are they entitled to?