The divorce was approved in less than a month, and it took four months to issue the financial settlement (alimony). The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has granted one of the largest divorce settlements in the area, at more than Dh7 million. The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has granted one of the largest divorce settlements in the region, totaling more than Dh7 million. The Secular expat court awarded the woman 35% of the wealth belonging to her ex-husband, including 35% of his assets and income.
The Abu Dhabi residents were a long-married couple. According to the civil marriage Law 14 of 2021, released in Abu Dhabi in November 2021, this is the first divorce case in the area where the court has hired an expert to determine each party’s net worth and financial assets. In a new period of contemporary and progressive family law notions, the statute and the recent court judgment significantly improve women’s rights and gender equality.
The divorce was granted in less than a month, and it took four months to issue the financial settlement (alimony). All expatriates may access the civil family court, formerly the non-Muslim court, regardless of their residence or religion.
For non-Muslims living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), new family regulations known as “Federal Personal Status Laws” went into effect. Foreigners or expatriates who are not Muslims who reside in the UAE are subject to these rules. The legislation governing foreign family concerns, such as civil marriage, divorce, shared custody of children, and financial rights, had been implemented by Abu Dhabi. The legislation, which went into effect in December 2021, applies to all visitors, foreign nationals, and citizens of countries that use circular law, whether they are Muslims or not.
The initial divorce hearing may now result in a divorce being granted quickly and effectively under new civil marriage rules. The couple may decide to divorce without having to demonstrate bias or provide a justification for it. The duration of the couple’s marriage is also considered while determining alimony payments.
In addition to monthly payments, the legislation allows the court to compel one spouse to provide the other with a one-time lump sum payment.
As of February 1, 2023, nearly 6,000 couples from 127 different countries have been married under the new civil marriage statute since the program began, according to Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court data. Many of them were Europeans, Americans, Russians, Lebanese, 2,300 couples of Filipinos, and over 830 couples of Indians, Lebanese, Nigerians, and Europeans.
The new regulations were created to “regulate marriage, conditions, and procedures of contracting and documenting the marriage before the competent courts,” allowing non-Muslims to wed or file for divorce under non-sharia law.
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While seeking a divorce in a local UAE court in the past, expatriates or non-Muslim UAE citizens were forced to follow Sharia law, even if it was different from the law of their home country. Hence, many choose to wed or divorce outside the United Arab Emirates.
Moreover, the previous live-in relationship was illegal. Nonetheless, the UAE did not decriminalize live partnerships or unwed pregnancies until 2020, relaxing prohibitions on various personal matters.
No-fault divorce is when one spouse may get a divorce without showing that the other partner did anything wrong, such as adultery or abuse. Regarding the no-fault divorce application, the Civil Family Court will thus award a divorce without requesting proof of the causes of the marriage’s dissolution.
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The following papers are needed to support the application for no-fault divorce:
All you need to know: Alimony of wife in the UAE
Our family law lawyers, who are familiar with Dubai divorce law, are highly trained in divorce and separation cases and provide trustworthy and affordable guidance to defend each client’s interests in a divorce case. Also, via the family courts in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, our knowledgeable attorneys successfully handle divorce, alimony, child custody matters and other related family matters in accordance with UAE personal status law.
Our family law section is made up of a broad team of attorneys that handle a range of legal matters, including private matters. Our family lawyers in Dubai have successfully defended our clients in the various areas of family law.