A recent ruling by a UAE court determined that persistent threats by a husband about polygamous cohabitation will be considered to be psychological or mental harm to his wife. Polygamous cohabitation refers to multiple wives...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)
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
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, 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
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
Until recently, the UAE courts only allowed registration of islamic marriages. However, newly added legal provisions now allow non-Muslim couple to register marriages in the UAE courts. Accordingly, residents of UAE can marry...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)
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
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
In 2021, Abu Dhabi introduced a landmark legal reform with the issuance of Law No. 14 of 2021, which introduced the concept of civil marriage in the UAE. This move signifies a progressive step towards embracing secular...more
In the United Arab Emirates, inheritance and wills are governed by a combination of Sharia law and civil laws. The legal framework for Muslim individuals' wills and inheritance is primarily based on the Federal Law No....more
8/31/2023
/ Asset Management ,
Beneficiaries ,
Civil Code ,
Dubai ,
Foreign Ownership ,
Heirs ,
Inheritance ,
Legal Representatives ,
Muslims ,
Personal Status Law ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Market ,
Residential Property Owners ,
Sharia Law ,
Spouses ,
Wills
The issue of domestic violence is universal and the UAE has taken bold steps to combat this issue. In this connection, the Federal Decree-Law No. 10/2019 On the Protection From Domestic Violence (Domestic Violence Law) has...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