Legal services
Wills registered in Dubai, the DIFC and Abu Dhabi, and estates administered with care.
We prepare and register wills for UAE nationals and expatriates, obtain succession certificates and probate, and administer estates before the UAE courts. Tailored advice on wills, trusts and inheritance for local and international clients.
When a person dies in the UAE without a registered will, the courts apply the inheritance rules of the Personal Status Law by default, bank accounts are frozen until a succession certificate is issued, and the guardianship of minor children is decided by the court. Non-Muslim residents can avoid this by registering a will with the DIFC Wills Service Centre, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department or the Dubai Courts, or by relying on the civil personal status law for non-Muslims. UAE nationals and Muslim residents can also make a will within the limits Sharia allows, and can plan through gifts, waqf and family structures.
Khalifa Al Sada Advocates & Legal Consultants provides tailored, high-quality advice on wills, trusts and probate. We prepare wills and trusts for local and international clients who wish to register them with the Dubai Courts as well as the DIFC, and we administer estates from the first application to the final transfer.
We advise:
We handle each matter personally and explain every step, because inheritance is where law and grief meet.
We advise on which registration route suits you: the DIFC Wills Service Centre for non-Muslims with assets anywhere in the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department wills registry, or a will notarised and registered before the Dubai Courts. We draft the will in the form the registry requires, covering property, shares, accounts, vehicles and guardianship, arrange the appointment and the witnesses, and register it. We also prepare mirror wills for spouses, business owners' wills and guardianship wills, and we review existing foreign wills to check whether they will work in the UAE.
After a death we obtain the succession certificate from the personal status court or apply for probate in the DIFC Courts, attend to the release of frozen accounts, the transfer of property at the Land Department, the transfer of shares with the licensing authority, and the settlement of debts and end-of-service entitlements. Where heirs disagree we mediate, and where necessary we litigate over the validity of a will, the identification of heirs, the valuation of assets or the conduct of an executor. We also advise on the rules of Sharia inheritance for Muslim clients, including the shares of each heir and the limits on bequests.
Our lawyers know the practice of every registry and court that deals with wills and estates in the UAE, and we work in both the civil law and common law traditions that these registries reflect. We can tell you within a short meeting which route is right, what it costs and how long it takes.
We work in Arabic and English, and with our Russia, India and Turkey desks and our associate firms abroad when an estate has assets in more than one country.
We review your family, your assets and your wishes and advise on the registration route and the form of will that suits you.
We draft the will and any related documents in the language and form the registry requires, and you review them.
We arrange the appointment, the witnesses and the registration, and give you the registered copy.
When the time comes, we obtain the certificate or probate and transfer the estate to the beneficiaries.
Non-Muslims over 21 with assets in the UAE. The will is in English, registered by appointment, and can cover property, guardianship, business interests and financial assets.
The UAE courts apply the default inheritance rules, accounts are frozen until a succession certificate is issued, and guardianship of children is decided by the court. A registered will prevents most of this.
A straightforward application to the personal status court takes a few weeks. Transfers of property and shares follow and depend on the registries involved.
Yes, for up to one third of the estate to non-heirs, with the remainder distributed under Sharia. Other planning tools, such as gifts during life, can also be used.
Insights
12 Apr 2023 4 min read
If a non-Muslim expatriate dies in the UAE without a registered will, the default inheritance rules apply, accounts are frozen and guardianship is decided by the court. Here is why a will matters and what you need to make one.
Read more17 Aug 2026 6 min read
Who can register a will at the DIFC, the types of will available, what the will can cover, the documents and witnesses needed, how the appointment works, and what happens after death.
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