Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

Jobless with a loan. What should I do to avoid legal consequences?

Q: Hi, Good Day! I issued a personal cheque valued at 55k AED to a vendor five months ago. During this time, I paid half of the amount, but currently, I have no job or any source of income to cover the remaining balance. Despite this, the vendor insisted on depositing the cheque, which they did. Now, they claim it was rejected due to an unauthorized signature, although I believe everything was done correctly. What can I do to resolve this if they decide to take legal action against me? I currently don`t have the funds to pay, and I`ve informed them that I need more time to settle the matter. Kindly advise!

Getting a deposit or compensation if the buyer backs out after signing the MOU

Q: Hello, A buyer of my property has refused to proceed after signing the MOU. Form F indicates the penalty type as "NO." Am I entitled to a deposit cheque or compensation? I have already rejected other buyers and came to Dubai for the deal, but the buyer is not answering the phone.

هل يمكن تقسيط مبلغ الإيجار المستحق لتجنب منع السفر أو الحبس؟

س: السلام عليكم، هل يمكن تقسيط مبلغ الإيجار المستحق لتجنب منع السفر أو الحبس بعد صدور أمر التنفيذ بإخلاء الشقة السكنية بدبي؟

I agreed with my tenant verbally to vacate my apartment and now he refuses to leave. What to do?

Q: Hello I have a 2BHK apartment with a garden in Dubai and I have rented to the tenant for the last 2 years. We verbally agreed on WhatsApp and phone about the evacuation and he agreed he would vacate. Now he is playing with me and asking me to serve the legal notice to him to vacate.

Unit registration delays, slow construction. Can I cancel SPA for a refund?

Q: Hi, I purchased a unit in July. I`ve requested Oqood several times to no avail. They responded that the registration will take time, and the delay is from DLD. I checked with DLD, and they informed me that no registration application had been made in my name. Additionally, when I purchased the unit, I was promised several things, including Golder Residency, and a flexible payment plan of (70/30), but that was all untrue. Furthermore, I realized that the developer provided their direct bank account rather than an Escrow account, which raised a red flag for me. The contract stated that the completion time is July 2024, but the construction progress is still under 20% as per the DLD website. I have the intention to cancel my SPA and request a refund. Will that be doable?

What can we do if the company is not providing food allowance for workers?

Q: What will we do if the construction company does not give advance to the new labor for food?

Hire a lawyer online

Save time and money. Buy fixed-fee legal services or submit your request and get multiple competitive offers from qualified lawyers.

Buy services Get quotes

Ongoing labor case: Can I renew my tourist visa and exit before it expires?

Q: Hi, I have an ongoing labor case, but my tourist visa is about to expire on December 25. Can I renew my visa and exit?

Father passed away. What are the procedures to sell his property in the UAE?

Q: Hi, My family lives in Ireland and we are Irish citizens. We are not UAE residents nor do we have citizenship. I am the eldest son in my family. My mother and father own property in Dubai, UAE. My father passed away last year. He did not have a will. I have his original death certificate. My siblings and mother have granted me Power of Attorney to sell the property. I have notarized, authenticated, and legalized both these documents with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the UAE embassy in Ireland. The title deeds for the property are currently in my mother’s and father’s name. We have the keys to the property and the title deeds. I wish to sell the property as soon as possible to divide the proceeds with my family. Would you be able to advise if I can fly over to Dubai to complete the sale of the property? Would I need to transfer the names of the title deeds from my parents` names to my name first? What extra documentation would I need? Thanks!

Any restrictions for a non-UAE citizen with a company to be a developer?

Q: Hello sir/madam, I established a company in a Dubai free zone. I am not a UAE citizen and want to be a developer or invest money in Dubai real estate. Are there any restrictions, such as terms, areas, or types of deals?

What are the legal implications of resigning from job right within probation?

Q: I accepted and signed a contract for a job in Abu Dhabi and they got a work permit/entry visa. It was an expedited hire and I made a bad decision. My wife did not agree with the move and as a result, I had a change of heart and informed the company of my decision to remain in my home country. I understand that I should reimburse the visa costs but what are the other legal implications and possibilities of this scenario?

What law can I seek to apply for non-Muslim divorce and alimony in the UAE?

Q: Does Dubai follow the federal decree law no. (41) of 2022 for divorce? I am a non-Muslim Filipino and have been separated from my estranged wife for almost 6 years now. In case Dubai does not follow this new law for divorce, can I file the divorce in Abu Dhabi even if I am a Dubai resident? Will I have to pay alimony?

Looking for something else?

Ask for advice from a lawyer

It’s free and anonymous

No registration needed

Ask a lawyer

Can my employer file absconding against me because I filed a case for not canceling my visa?

Q: Good day! I am under a free zone company, I filed a case to labor against my employer because he is refusing to cancel my visa. Then this employer told me that he would file a case against me for absconding and place a ban. How does that happen? When he is the one who is not following the rules under the contract, by making me work for 13 hrs instead of 8 hrs only, and not paying the overtime fee. That’s why I resigned from them, and now he is the one who wants to file a case against me.

How can I notify my husband who lives in another country through court to pay alimony?

Q: Salam Aleykum I am worried. We requested Dubai Courts Smart Services to notify my husband that he has to pay me temporary alimony. This is because of my bad financial situation about not having a job and because he abandoned me. But I received the notification now that he was only notified by email, not by phone message. Maybe he can say that he doesn’t have that email anymore or that he didn’t check (Execution Decision Result: Implemented - Unable to announce by phone). What can I do? Thanks!

Can my employer threaten me with a case for a loan I took from company for taking sick leave?

Q: Good evening Sir/Madam. I am S. I didn`t go to work like 2 weeks because I got sick. I already informed my manager. But I don`t go hospital because my insurance did not cover all medicine and treatment. I got hemorrhoids. After that, I got the flu but am still not well with hemorrhoids. I already informed my manager and I went to the office sometime. And I explained to them that I was not well. After that, my manager said to me he would cancel my visa and put me in jail because I took a loan of AED 3500 from the company. I already paid AED 1500 and still have to pay AED 2000. He said within one week I should have to pay, and if I did not pay, he would file a case and put me in jail. Can I know if they can do this? After that, I opened a case file in the labor office of my incident and I already have the case file number. Now, they can cancel my visa. Can they do this? I am sorry Sir/Madam because I don`t know English very well.

Do I owe taxes to the USA before funds reach my UAE bank account?

Q: Hi Guys, I am a tax resident and a registered UAE LLC business owner in Ras Al Khaimah. I specialize in party planning and event organizing, and I will be conducting events in the UAE. Do I have tax obligations to the USA before the money lands in my UAE Emirates NBD bank account? I am seeking a lawyer with international experience to provide insights and potentially collaborate with us. Thanks for all your help! Best Regards,

The owner is avoiding repairs due to selling the property. What to do?

Q: Dear All, I am renting a villa in Dubai. The water heater stopped working and needs to be changed. We do not have hot water in the house. After receiving quotations from several companies, the owner is avoiding the repair as he is selling the property. I would like to know the legal procedure in RDC to address the damages. Thank you very much!