The UAE government has implemented the civil personal status laws to regulate the personal affairs of the large population of non-Muslim expatriates who have chosen to live in the country. These laws are rooted in the...more
7/21/2025
/ Alimony ,
Child Custody ,
Divorce ,
Dubai ,
Expatriates ,
Family Law Courts ,
Inheritance ,
Marriage ,
Muslims ,
Personal Status Law ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Parents are the foremost guardians in a child’s life, nourishing and protecting them during the most vulnerable stages. Parents are expected to be loving, kind and understanding of their children’s needs. However, in rare...more
In the UAE, divorce and related matters are governed by the UAE family Law. Due to the presence of various communities coexisting in the country, the UAE government has enacted separate laws for Muslim and non-Muslim citizens...more
7/16/2025
/ Alimony ,
Child Custody ,
Dissolution ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Marriage ,
Muslims ,
Personal Status Law ,
Registration ,
Spouses ,
Text Messages ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE) ,
WhatsApp
The new personal status law under Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2024 (“New Law”) has been enforced in the UAE since April 15, 2025 and the old family law under Federal decree Law No. 28 of 2005 (“Old Law”) is now officially...more
7/15/2025
/ Alimony ,
Child Custody ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Legal Custody ,
Marriage ,
Mediation ,
New Legislation ,
Personal Status Law ,
Sharia Law ,
Spouses ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE law states that after a divorce, the father is obligated to provide child support for his children, under both Muslim law and non-Muslim law. Similarly, the husband may be ordered by the court to make payments to the...more
7/11/2025
/ Alimony ,
Child Custody ,
Child Support ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Divorce ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Jurisdiction ,
Maintenance ,
Marriage ,
Spousal Support ,
Spouses ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
How can a family court decision be appealed?
Although it is easy to obtain information regarding family laws in the UAE, people are generally unaware about the procedural aspects of the family court process. In this...more
7/11/2025
/ Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
Child Custody ,
Court of Cassation ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Inheritance ,
Jurisdiction ,
Litigation Strategies ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a multicultural global city with people from various countries, religions and belief systems. The country continuously works towards building a land where these communities can grow and...more
7/8/2025
/ Child Custody ,
Child Visitation ,
Custodians ,
Divorce ,
Joint Custody ,
Middle East ,
Parental Rights ,
Parenting Plans ,
Personal Status Law ,
Sharia Law ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Marriages in the UAE are governed by the UAE family laws which include the personal status law and the civil status laws. The civil status laws include Federal decree Law No. 41 of 2022 governing non-Muslims in the UAE except...more
The UAE government has issued a series of changes to its family laws through the recently passed new personal status law, namely Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2024 on the Issuance of Personal Status. The law will be enforced...more
The United Arab Emirates has recently passed a new personal status law, namely the Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2024 (“Law”) that has brought about significant changes to the personal laws applicable to Muslim in the UAE,...more
4/15/2025
/ Child Custody ,
Criminal Penalties ,
Criminal Sanctions ,
Divorce ,
International Travel ,
Legal Custody ,
Minor Children ,
Minors ,
Parental Consent ,
Penalties ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
A new federal law regarding personal status has been issued by the UAE government on the 1st of October 2024 and which will come into effect on the 15th of April, 2025. Federal Decree Law No. 41 Of 2024 on the Issuance of the...more
3/26/2025
/ Child Custody ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Marital Assets ,
Minor Children ,
New Legislation ,
Personal Status Law ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
Spousal Support ,
Spouses ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE has issued a new Personal Status Law, Federal Decree Law No. 41 Of 2024 on the Issuance of the Personal Status Law on the 1st of October 2024. The Law will come into effect on 15 April 2025. This new law has made...more
The UAE has issued a new personal status law, namely, Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2024 on the Issuance of the Personal Status Law, on the 1st of October, 2024 which will come into effect on the 15th of April 2025. The new...more
In the recent years, the UAE has brought about significant changes to its legal provisions regarding relationships between unmarried couples and children born outside the boundaries of a marriage. The law provides a...more
The UAE government recently abrogated Federal Decree-Law No. 10/2019 and replaced it with Federal Decree-Law No. 13/2024 On the Protection from Domestic Violence (“Law”). The new Law is being hailed for its stricter...more
In the UAE, custody of children following the divorce of Muslim parents is governed by Federal Law No. 28/2005 on Personal Status Law. A common concern for fathers is whether they can obtain custody after their ex-wives...more
1/20/2025
/ Child Custody ,
Custody ,
Divorce ,
Family Law Courts ,
Guardianships ,
Judicial Discretion ,
Muslims ,
Parenting Plans ,
Personal Status Law ,
Sharia Law ,
Spouses ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Introduction: For expatriates living in the UAE, divorce might be a complicated process and deal with emotions. Abu Dhabi has been taking steps to address the unique challenges that expatriates face with its Law No. 14/2021...more
12/19/2024
/ Alimony ,
Child Custody ,
Child Support ,
Distribution Rules ,
Divorce ,
Dubai ,
Equitable Distribution ,
Family Law Courts ,
Jurisdiction ,
Unilateral Dissolution ,
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Navigating divorce in the UAE as an expatriate can be complex, particularly given the distinct legal frameworks that apply to non-Muslims. The UAE has recently introduced significant reforms through Federal Decree-Law No. 41...more
Divorce is a significant aspect of family law in the UAE, governing both Muslims and non-Muslims. Previously, Federal Law No. 28 of 2005 regulated personal status matters for both Muslims and non-Muslims along with certain...more
In the UAE, Federal Decree-Law No. 41/2022 on Civil Personal Status and Abu Dhabi Law No. 14/2021 on Civil Marriage have introduced significant reforms to ensure equality between men and women, particularly in matters of...more
Parents are made to be the natural custodian of a child upon his birth, and in cases where parents are not fit to take custody, it may be given to the close relatives of the child, or a person competent to be a custodian in...more
The introduction of a new personal status law for the non-Muslims is a landmark decision on part of the UAE government. To be enforced from February 1st, 2023, the Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status...more
The UAE is home to around 8.84 million who belong to various nationalities and include amongst other South Asians, Europeans etc constituting approximately 89 per cent of the total population of the country. The term ‘family...more