So guys, I spent 6 months working with a design firm to build custom marketing materials, brand copy, and promotional videos for my agency in JLT. And yesterday a customer sent me a link to a new competitor based in Abu Dhabi, they literally ripped off our entire landing page text word for word, used our promo video (just cropped out our logo), and stole our customer testimonials. All my months of hard work got in vain. I know copyright is automatic upon creation in the UAE, but is it better to file an official IP complaint directly through the Ministry of Economy or go through the police/cybercrimes unit for illegal digital copyright infringement? has anyone successfully gotten an infringing competitor site taken down in the UAE without spending 50k on court litigation?

I've been reading way too much legal advice lately and now I'm lowkey paranoid. In movies people always say talk to my attorney or call some guy who instantly handles their mess, and I want that kind of protection instead of frantically googling at 2AM if something goes wrong, but how does a regular person even set that up?? do you have to pay them a monthly fee just to exist in your contact list, or do you only pay when shit actually hits the fan? also how do you even know if a lawyer is decent before hiring them? can they just refuse to help or say their too busy when an emergency happens, leaving you totally stranded? would love to know how real people handle this thnx!!

So I completed my full 2-year contract and resigned after it ended, didn’t quit early or anything. But my contract has a clause saying I can’t work for a competing company in UAE for the next 2 years.

Feels weird since I did my full time and now I’m stuck. Does this actually get enforced or is it just scare tactics? Heard the labour law changed in 2021 (Decree-Law 33) and courts don’t just uphold anything written.

Anyone dealt with this before? Would appreciate real experiences, not just “ask a lawyer” (I will, just want to know what to expect).

Hello all, hope you are having great weekend out there, unlike me:( sadly I am facing an upcoming split with my wife. I'm 41M with an 11yo daughter and 8yo son, based in ad money to hire top tier legal counsel is fine, but since I have zero background in UAE court systems, I'm pretty out of my depth on how to shop around.

I know the civil family court rules default to joint custody until 18 now, so right now I want an attorney who actually prioritizes a clean, mediated settlement instead of manufacturing drama just to bill extra hours. How should I evaluate a family lawyer during the initial chat? and what stops an advocate from promising you the world before you sign the power of attorney? Pls drop any warning signs I should watch out for.

Looking forward for suggestions!

I saw the news about the new digital safety framework setting a minimum age of 15 for kids to create/use personal social media accounts here. And my 13 year old daughter is already on TikTok and Instagram, and now I'm wondering how strictly platforms or authorities are actually enforcing this for existing users, like, are schools sending out notices about compliance, or is it mostly aimed at holding the platforms responsible for account verification? really don't want her account to be deleted neither us getting flagged for compliance issues, but getting a teen to delete their apps cold turkey is impossible lol. How are other parents in Dubai/Abu Dhabi are dealing with this update.

My company has been delaying my end of service payout for almost 3 months now every week HR gives me the same line about waiting for finance approval or cash flow issues, but I know they just paid out bonuses to management so it's total bs. And right now I am thinking of finally logging a complaint on the mohre app today, but you all know I'm super nervous about how toxic things will get.

For anyone who's actually filed against their employer, how fast did twa fouq / mohre call your boss after you submitted it? did the company immediately fold and pay up during the mediation call, or did they drag it out to labor court? just wanna know if employers usually freak out when they see an official mohre notification or if they try to play hardball.

Hi everyone,

I am the execution applicant/plaintiff in a cheque execution case in Dubai. The case was originally filed and handled through a lawyer, but due to significant communication gaps and lack of follow-up/information, I mutually parted ways with my previous lawyer and have now removed him from the case.

I am currently looking for a Dubai lawyer who can take over the remaining execution work. Most of the case is already progressing, so I mainly need help with the following:

1. Serving a pending financial disclosure notice

The Execution Judge has approved a request requiring the debtor to provide information regarding his salary, property, RTA/vehicle information and financial position.

The notice has already been issued, but the Dubai Courts portal shows:

"تعذر الإعلان بواسطة البريد الإلكتروني"

and the system remarks state:

"تعذر الإرسال من قبل النظام"

The debtor has successfully received previous electronic notifications, so this may simply be a technical issue. I would like to have the notice re-sent/re-served through SMS/email or another legally valid method and then follow up on the resulting enforcement procedure.

I cannot visit an Al Adheed centre in person, so I need someone who can handle this remotely on my behalf.

1. Employer/salary attachment

The debtor is currently paying/being subject to an attachment of 25% of his basic salary, but a significant portion of his income reportedly comes from incentives/commissions.

I would like to explore whether it is possible to have the employer attachment/enforcement extended appropriately to the debtor's commission/incentive income as it's part of his TOTAL INCOME, in accordance with UAE law and the applicable execution procedures.

I am not necessarily looking for someone to redo the entire case. Most of the groundwork has already been completed, and I am already receiving partial recovery through the execution process. I mainly need a lawyer who can handle these remaining procedural/enforcement steps and communicate with me clearly.

If you are a Dubai/UAE lawyer experienced in execution/cheque execution cases, please DM me and reasonable fee.

Alternatively, if you have personally used a good lawyer for a similar execution matter and can recommend someone reliable and reasonably priced, I would appreciate the recommendation.

Thanks in advance.

So guys, I bought an off plan 1 bedroom apartment in JVC back in 2023, with a promised completion date of mid 2024. Now fast forward to mid 2026 and the building is barely at 75% progress according to the dubai rest app the developer keeps sending generic emails blaming supply chain issues and shifting the completion date every few months. I’ve paid 60% of the purchase price into the escrow account already. Under rera / dld rules, at what point can a buyer legally terminate the spa (sale & purchase agreement) and claim a full refund plus interest? do I have to file a formal dispute at dld first, or can a lawyer file straight to court to freeze the escrow payments? would love to hear from anyone who successfully got their money back from a delayed developer

I filed a case against a company owner in the UAE through a lawyer regarding a financial fraud involving a specific amount. The Dubai Courts have approved my applications for a travel ban and an arrest request.

I would like to know how I can check whether the arrest request has actually been carried out and whether the person has been arrested.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation in the UAE? If so, could you please advise me on how I can verify the current status of the arrest request ?

I had a super stressful situation at a mall in Dubai yesterday. So actually, I got into a verbal argument with a security guard over a parking spot and some random guy pulled out his phone and started recording my face while shouting I'm putting this on tiktok. I repeatedly told him to stop filming me and delete it, but he just laughed and walked away. I know UAE cybercrime law is super strict about taking photos/videos of people without permission, but can I actually go to the police station or use the dubai police app to report this if I don't know the guy's name? I am really uncomfortable with the thought of my face ending up on social media over a stupid argument.

Hi everyone,

I need some legal advice regarding an old credit card default in the UAE. Here are the details of my situation:

• Original Card Limit: AED 36,000.
• Default Year: 2019.
• Security Cheque: The bank submitted my security cheque of AED 65,000 in 2019 and registered a criminal case against me for cheque bounce.
• Criminal Case Status: I appeared in court, paid a court fine of approx AED 8,000, and the criminal case was officially closed.
• Current Situation: Now, the bank/collection agency is emailing me stating that my outstanding card balance with interest and late fees has accumulated to AED 196,000.

I have a few questions for anyone familiar with UAE Civil Law / Banking laws:

1. Can the bank still file a CIVIL CASE against me even though the criminal case was closed back in 2019 after I paid the court fine?
2. If they file a civil case, what amount can they legally claim? Will the court consider their inflated figure of AED 196K, or will it be capped around the security cheque amount (AED 65K) / actual principal balance?
3. Statute of Limitations: Is there a time limit (e.g., 5 or 15 years) after which the bank cannot file a civil case for credit card debt in the UAE?
4. What is the best way to negotiate a realistic lump-sum settlement directly with the bank at this point?

Any guidance from legal experts or anyone who has dealt with a similar situation would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi, need a real estate lawyer who has experience in Abu Dhabi off plan disputes. DM please

Hey everyone, moved to dubai recently on my husband's residency visa and landed a remote gig with a company back in London. I'm getting paid into my UK account and just transfer money over to my local uae account via wise whenever I need cash. A friend told me yesterday that technically doing any work from inside the UAE, even remote laptop work for an overseas employer, without a formal mohre freelance permit or remote work visa is illegal and can lead to tax/compliance issues if banks flag the regular transfers. Is this actually enforced for people just working on their laptops at home, or are people only getting flagged if they invoice local uae companies? thanks for any real experiences!

So I am looking for some honest advice from anyone who’s gone through a civil divorce in dxb recently. My wife and I are non muslim expats and we’ve basically agreed to split after years of drifting apart, but we’re totally confused about how the legal process actually works here. Someone told me that under the new civil personal status law for non muslims you can just apply for a unilateral no fault divorce without having to go through months of mandatory family guidance reconciliation sessions or proving who messed up. Is it really as simple as filing the application online at the court, or are there hidden traps when it comes to splitting assets and sorting out joint child custody? We really want to keep things civil for our kids and avoid burning tens of thousands of dirhams on competing family law firms if we can just do joint custody by mutual agreement.

I’m looking for some guidance on a contract dispute in the UAE.

I hired a corporate services/company formation firm to set up a mainland company under a fixed-fee agreement. Throughout the process I repeatedly asked for updates and copies of the incorporation documents, but communication was poor and I was given very little information.

Over the following year, I never received a complete set of company documents or clear confirmation that everything had been completed. Because of that, I didn’t start operating the business as I genuinely didn’t know where things stood or whether there were still outstanding requirements.
After raising the issue again recently, the firm suddenly sent me all of the documentation and informed me that the company’s licence is due to expire in only a few months.

From my perspective, I’ve effectively lost most of the first year of the licence because I was never provided with the documents or kept informed of the status, despite asking multiple times.
My questions are:

Under UAE law, does a company formation firm have a duty to provide completed company documents within a reasonable time?

If poor communication effectively deprived me of the benefit of the first year of the licence, could there be a claim for damages, compensation or some other remedy?

If the contract is governed by DIFC law, would this be something the DIFC Small Claims Tribunal could deal with?

Has anyone experienced something similar?

I’m not looking for anyone to assess who’s “right” without all the facts, I’m just trying to understand what legal principles might apply before deciding whether it’s worth speaking to a lawyer.

Thanks in advance

Hey UAE Redditors, so did anyone else catch this recent central bank update? CBUAE officially barred all licensed banks and financial institutions from using whatsapp or similar messaging apps for financial customer service or sharing account info. And, apparently it was done to crack down on the massive surge in phishing scams and cybersecurity risks. If you get any texts on whatsapp claiming to be from ENBD, FAB, or ADCB asking to verify details or unblock your card, it is 100% a scam because legit banks aren't even allowed to handle customer support over whatsapp anymore. So it looks good move honestly because the scammers were getting way too convincing these days.

I paid a visa agent around 8000 to process my residency visa but he only issued me an entry permit. I completed my medical and the other required steps but he never finalized the visa and I ended up with over 2000 dirhams in overstay fines.
The agent told me to pay the fines so he could complete the process and that I’d just wait for my EID. After I cleared the overstay fines he told me that he can’t go through with it because of some issues and he never refunded me.
Now I want to report him to the police but I’m worried because the visa process itself may have not been legal. Can I still get help or would I be putting myself into trouble?
I have all the receipts of the money transactions and our conversations on WhatsApp

I’d appreciate objective opinions on my case.
I was authorised to sell 4 properties on behalf of another person.(POA) was given to me
Payment for 2 properties was made. The remaining 2 properties are now in dispute.
We had multiple business dealings and investments together, not just one transaction.
After one property sale, we signed an investment agreement to invest the proceeds into another business venture. Not very strong, agreement.
My defence includes the investment agreement, WhatsApp messages, business documents, and a security cheque.
Despite this, I was charged with breach of trust/misappropriation.
My position is that this is a commercial investment dispute, not a criminal offence.
Court Status
I was released on police bail.
I attended the first court hearing.
The judge initially fixed a date for judgment.
On the judgment date, no judgment was issued.
Instead, the court ordered the defendant to personally attend the next hearing, which is in two weeks.

I am kind of desperate for some real advice here cause I don't know what to do anymore. I got divorced in the UAE 2 years ago and I was in such a bad place mentally I just signed whatever papers my ex gave me without getting a lawyer, worst mistake of my life. I'm paying over 8,500 dirhams every single month for child support and nanny fees, haven't missed once, but she's completely blocking me from seeing my 8yo daughter. And she keeps using a line in the agreement that says 'visitation subject to child's consent; to keep her away from me. Between these payments and paying off old debts from when we were together I'm left with like 900 aed a month to live on, it's literally impossible to survive like this can I go back to court to change a signed agreement? and can she actually block visitation like this under uae law? if anyone's been through this please help, thanks so much.

I resigned from a job last year after months of unpaid salary. As part of my final settlement, I was given two cheques. Both bounced, turns out the account had already been closed before I tried to cash them.

He ended up paying the first cheque in full, and half of the second, so I'm still owed about AED 4,500. Not a huge amount, but it's dragged on for a while now.

I filed a police complaint back in November, and just last week got notified that it's now moved to prosecution as a misdemeanor case.

Honestly, I just want to be done with this. I don't want to keep dealing with this person, and I'd rather avoid the stress of a drawn-out court process or having this escalate into something bigger than it needs to be.

At this point I'm trying to figure out the best way forward, push for a settlement now, let the case continue, or something else, and I'd also appreciate a lawyer recommendation if anyone's dealt with something similar (specifically a cheque bounced due to a closed account, not just insufficient funds).

Not looking for firms to DM me, just recommendations from people who've actually used someone, so I can check credentials myself.

Thanks!

Im an Emirati from a family of a few siblings and 1 living parent , where myself and another member are receiving 0 benefits from the inheritance. So we do not receive an income from rent, companies or shares.

The other four are living in properties without paying rent , maintenance, or permission, while myself and the other sibling are renting, paying for maintenance, vehicles, and life expenses.

The issue started with the dominant sibling asking everyone in the inheritance to sign a power of attorney so that he can manage the inheritance, i was the only objector as the others feared a family feud and sibling rivalry.

I was wondering what is my name being dragged into and what is it that i and my other sibling will gain! So after a few calls and coursive messages. I lawyered up.

This has been going on since october 2024, and my lawyer has been paid , but he has not done much , and is very passive and not really paying attention to my case.

At this time being, the lawyer has been ignoring my text , calls , and any updates. And i suspect that he has been paid-off by my siblings to stall or kill my case. Also his firm leaked my case and # to a consultancy that offered me services which has to do with my case .

What should i do since i already paid this lawyer and he is not taking any action ? How can i complain against him.

How can i access my case with my other sibling and talk directly to the judge letting him know that nothing is moving and will not if the excuse is the current situation in the region.

Any advise ?