Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

Termination of employment under Article 120 of UAE Labour Law

Q: Does article 120 of Labor Law in case of termination by employer cover the following situation: An employee went on an emergency leave due to his Mother`s hospitalization and after 45 days she passed away. When he came back to Dubai, his employer refused to pay the final settlement and forced him for cancellation.

How to leave the UAE if you have a travel ban

Q: What are procedures for travel to outside the UAE when a travel ban exists? At least to travel temporarily.

Help in the enforcement of maintenance payments to wife and child

Q: My husband refuses to provide maintenance for wife and child. Is there any organisation in Dubai/UAE that helps to enforce maintenance payments to spouse and child?

Early termination of a tenancy contract and refund of the paid rent

Q: I live in Dubai and I want to terminate my tenancy contract after 3 months. I lived here for last 3 years in the same flat. As per the tenancy contract, in case of termination of the contract by the tenant, the tenant has to pay minimum 2 months rent as a penalty. The agent has asked me to pay this penalty but he is not refunding me the full balance amount of rent. He is calculating the balance refund rent on 10% less than the actual rent in tenancy contract. Is this legal as there is no such clause in the contract nor agent has informed me earlier during signing the contract. Please advise what to do.

Labor case execution and checking legal status in the UAE

Q: Hello. I used to work in Dubai. My company did not pay me my salary for 8 months, so I filed a case at the court. In the meantime, the company started a case at the prosecution that I sold material and stole money. Also, the company now is closed with many bounced checks. I left to work in Canada and I do not know the status of my cases. I heard that the court awarded me 200K for my labour case but I am afraid to go to Dubai to check and I am unable to do so online. I need a lawyer to represent me in the 2 cases. The owners of the company are Lebanese and they left the country. Can we execute in Lebanon?

The issue with credit shield insurance

Q: HI, I was recently terminated from my work on May 1, 2017. I have a credit card with outstanding dues with FGB. On May 10th, I had applied for the credit shield with the bank. On application, they informed me that it would take 40-60 days to get credit shield approved. But it has been 4 months and it`s still not approved. The bank is repeatedly calling me for the minimum payment, which I am not able to do since I haven`t received any new job offer. I visited the bank collection department and the credit shield insurance company with no proper reply from any. The bank has now issued a legal notice and I do not have any proper reply from anyone with regard to the credit shield. I have been giving interviews and it`s only a matter of a couple of weeks before which I might be employed again. My question is, can the bank register case against me when the credit shield application is pending? Also, will the case affect my legal status when new employer applies for new employment visa? Thanks.

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How to check UAE travel ban: the procedure, documents needed and the cost

Q: Dear Sir, Is there any options to check my travel ban (UAE) ...because I had some bank loan. Awaiting your reply. Thanks

What can I do if my lawyers ignore me?

Q: Dubai Courts issued a payment execution order in my favour for a commercial case in May 2017, but the defendant hasn`t paid yet. I`ve been chasing the lawyer every couple of weeks since but they are ignoring me and not following up on anything even though I have paid them in full. What can I do?

Where can Muslim expats file for divorce?

Q: I want to file for divorce. We are Muslim family, married in Dubai under Sharia court. He is an American citizen, I am Romanian citizen and we have a 2 years old daughter. Please let me know where can I go to file for divorce?

Can CEO be sued for unsettled bank loans of the company?

Q: My associate was working as CEO (employee) in an entity in Sharjah. The owner has left the country with unsettled bank loans. (1) Can the Bank put the CEO in jail charging him that he was operationally responsible for the bank borrowings? (2) What defence my associate can get from the UAE Law?

Setting up E-commerce business in Dubai

Q: Hello, We are starting a new E-commerce business based in Dubai and would like to know some of the legal requirements to set an e-commerce business. We`ll be selling physical products, imported from China and targeting the UAE as our customer base. So please if you could help us in informing what legal procedures like licensing etc should be done. Thanks.

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Why I'm banned to enter UAE and what is the procedure to lift the ban?

Q: I want to know why I`m banned to enter the UAE and what is the procedure to lift it back?

Legal requirements for publishing and selling digital goods

Q: Hi there! I would like to know, what are the legal requirements for publishing and selling digital goods (such as mobile apps, mobile advertisements, digital paintings, etc.) in Abu Dhabi/ the UAE?

Custody and child support

Q: I`m a US citizen from New York currently residing in Washington USA with my sister. I moved to Dubai around 3 years ago. I was working there but quit my job few months after I got married in Dubai on December 24, 2015. My husband is from Pakistan and resides in Dubai. He was living in my apartment after our marriage. As he physically and mentally abused me, I decided to leave Dubai, sell my stuff and come here to my sister. I had reported him to the police who had given him a warning letter. My first concern is how can I make sure he does not take away my daughter? Either he may come here or he may try to gain custody through Dubai Courts. Please let me know how I can have full custody of my child. Also now he believes he`s free from any responsibility and said he will not give a single penny. Our daughter is 8 months old and US citizen as well. I need child support for my daughter. How can I get this? For my husband divorce is a joke. He said it multiple times and threatened me also.

What is the fastest way to lift a travel ban?

Q: I paid the fine for cheque bounce of 10,000 and got released. Now the creditor has put the travel ban on me, however, there is no arrest warrant as I got it checked. Now I want to travel to my home country for Eid, I want to pay the outstanding amount. 1. My question is can I pay the amount at the airport while I leave? 2. or Can I pay at the court and get the travel ban lifted on the same day so that I can travel. The creditor who has put the travel ban on me is out of the country for a month. I need a lawyer to assist me urgently as I want to travel before Eid. Thank you.

Interpretation of the early termination clause in a tenancy contract

Q: Hi, We just received our eviction notice from our Landlord for next summer 2018. We, however, would prefer exiting earlier. In our current lease contract, we have the following clause: "The Parties agree that there may be instances where the tenant shall need to terminate the lease early. In this event, and in accordance with the current guidelines, the tenant must provide the landlord with a written 2 months of notice. The landlord agrees to refund any outstanding rental amount." Kindly can you confirm the below: This means that we still get to stay in the house for the 2 month notice period and there is no penalty charge. The date on the letter is the 1st day of the 2 month notice period (notice given 23.08.2017, out by 22.10.2017). Do we need the written notice to be notarized or does an emailed letter suffice? Thank you very much and best regards, S.W