Legal services
Representation before every court in the UAE, from first instance to cassation.
Our advocates hold rights of audience before all UAE courts and represent companies and individuals in civil, commercial, labour, property and criminal proceedings. We plan each case from the first notice to the enforcement of the judgment.
Litigation in the United Arab Emirates follows a civil law procedure that rewards preparation. Cases are decided mainly on written submissions and documents, hearings are short, and the judge may appoint an expert whose report carries real weight. A claim that is well documented, filed in the right court and argued in clear Arabic has a strong start. A claim that is rushed can lose months at the first hearing.
Khalifa Al Sada Advocates & Legal Consultants has represented clients before the courts of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the federal judiciary for more than twenty years. Our Emirati advocates plead in person before the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, and our legal consultants prepare the file in both Arabic and English so that nothing is lost between the client and the bench.
We act for claimants and defendants of every size, including:
We begin with an honest assessment. Before any claim is filed we review the contracts, correspondence and evidence, identify the competent court and the applicable limitation period, and tell you in plain terms where the case is strong and where it is exposed. Where a settlement is realistic we say so, and we handle the negotiation or the conciliation stage that many UAE courts now require before a hearing.
Once a case is under way we draft the statement of claim or defence, file through the court portals, respond to expert reports, attend every hearing and keep you informed after each one. After judgment we handle the appeal or the execution file, including attachment of bank accounts, travel bans where the law allows them, and the sale of assets through the execution court. We also work with local counsel abroad when a UAE judgment must be enforced in another country.
Our advocates are licensed before every court in the UAE, and our team combines civil law and common law training. That matters when a dispute touches the DIFC or ADGM courts, an arbitration clause, or a contract governed by foreign law. We work in Arabic and English, and our Russia, India and Turkey desks support clients who need advice in their own language.
We keep our promises modest and our reporting clear. You will know the stage of your case, the next deadline and the likely cost of the next step. That is what a litigation client is entitled to expect.
We read your documents, confirm the competent court and the time limits, and give you a written view of the strengths and the risks.
We agree the objective with you, prepare the pleadings and evidence in Arabic, and file the claim or the defence through the court portal.
Our advocates attend every hearing, reply to the expert report and keep you informed after each session.
We advise on appeal, then open the execution file and pursue the judgment debtor's assets until the judgment is satisfied.
It depends on the parties, the contract and the subject matter. Onshore disputes go to the Dubai, Abu Dhabi or federal courts; DIFC and ADGM have their own English-language courts. We confirm the competent court before anything is filed.
Usually not. Your advocate attends on your behalf under a notarised power of attorney. You may be asked to attend an expert meeting or to give evidence in some cases.
A straightforward commercial claim at first instance often takes several months; an appeal adds more. Expert reports and counterclaims extend the timeline. We give you a realistic estimate at the outset and update it as the case develops.
Often, yes. It depends on treaties and the law of the other country. We work with associate firms abroad to recognise and enforce UAE judgments.
Insights
20 Jul 2023 4 min read
Why parties increasingly choose arbitration over the courts, the arbitration institutions the UAE has built in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and how our offices support clients before DIAC, ICC, DIFC and ADCCAC.
Read more8 Jun 2026 6 min read
Since 2 January 2022 a cheque returned for insufficient funds is no longer a crime in itself. It is an executive instrument enforced directly by the execution court. Here is how the new system works, what still counts as an offence, and what each side should do.
Read moreConsultation
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