Europe Emirates Consultancy Dubai Wills & Testament

Dubai Wills and Testament

EEC Why Do You Need a Will?

"I am a Non-Muslim Expat - so why should I make a Will whilst living in the UAE?" You should definitely make a new Will or review your existing Will if you want your financial assets to be distributed according to your wishes using the Law of your home country.

As a result of the Personal Affairs Law (No 28 of 2005), a Non Muslim foreigner who is resident in the UAE can make a Will to opt for the law of your Domicile Home Country to be applied to the distribution of your UAE assets.

We can help clients of most nationalities and religions residing in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and most other UAE Emirates. Hundreds of satisfied clients have used our competitively priced specialist services to safeguard your property held in the UAE and other locations in the World.

If you have any money in a bank, savings or you own property in the UAE, making a valid Will that is professionally written and executed, will help protect your family and property, wherever it is situated in the world.

As an Expat living in the UAE, making a Shariah Compliant Will or living Will with the Wills Specialists, Expat Wills can also help protect your existing assets in your home country and, subject to some exceptions, other countries; this includes property, savings and investments etc, in addition to important assets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

EEC What Happens if I am an Expat and I don't Have a Will?

  • If you have assets in the UK or your own Home Country and you do not leave a valid will, there are statutory rules under the laws of the UK or Home Country (generally called "intestacy rules") that determine who inherits your estate. However dying without a Will in Dubai is even more of a problem as your assets may be distributed in accordance with Islamic Sharia Law (Islamic Inheritance Laws). This law is very different from most legal systems and has a particular procedure based on a fixed share allocation system for the disbursement of deceased assets to family members.
  • Unless you have no concern about the distribution of your estate from your Home Country and in Dubai after death, you should most definitely make a Will and take professional advice on Estate Planning matters. If you do not, you will die intestate (without a Will) and your assets may be disposed of in a way that does not coincide with your wishes. Your family's problems will be even more complex if you own assets in more than one country, such as British UK Expats owning property in both the UK and Dubai. Dying intestate can also cause prolonged legal battles, to avoid this problem it is better to write your Wills abroad.
  • In addition your family will be faced with the problem that your Dubai and Abu Dhabi based assets may be frozen due to Dubai Muslim shariah law and your bills, debts and mortgage will not die with you. This could leave a great deal of debt unpaid until your estate is finally dealt with by the Dubai Courts based on Shariah Law.
  • If you die intestate (without a legal last Will and testament) in the UK your estate will probably remain tangled up in probate for up to 2 years. However if you are an Expat resident of Dubai, dying without a legal Will and Last Testament is a far more serious matter.
  • As an Expat resident in Dubai it is very important that you make a properly valid and witnessed Will and Last Testament or living Will which can protect your assets both in the UK and in Dubai. A well thought out Will and Last Testament is simply good financial planning.
  • Most people living in Dubai prefer not to think about making a legal Will and Last Testament or living will. Yet have you ever considered the complications that might arise if the unthinkable happened whilst you were here in Dubai and you did not have a Will in place to protect your loved ones?
  • Assets such as money in the bank and property may not automatically go to your dependants if you die whilst residing in Dubai. Your immediate family may have to wait a very long time to benefit from your UK and Dubai based assets at a time when they desperately need money to live in Dubai, for funeral expenses or just to return to the UK.
  • There are often disputes within the nicest of families over property and other assets, however making a Will or living Will clearly indicating your wishes to your beneficiaries, will go a long way to resolving future arguments and disputes.

EEC Contact us for your Estate Planning requirements