Vantort

Hi,

Has anyone any experience of lawyers drawing up wills in the UAE so that you can avoid the potential consequences of sharia law - if the unthinkable happens to you or/and your spouse?

I've heard some scare stories about the consequences of not having a will - especially if you have children. e.g. If I should die, then our kids go into care until a male relative appears from the UK. This could be a good marketing ploy by lawyers (love 'em!).

It seems I need to get a lawyer to draw up a will in arabic (who knows what is says!). Any experience or recommendations of law firms to use?

Thanks in advance!

p.s. Not planning on popping off just yet!

busybee2

there is a lot of scare stories... if you have assets here then you should.... otherwise ....!

Meow

ONLY use a lawyer to get a will written, not someone who has been on a will writing course. This is an important issue that should be dealt with by a professional.

You only need to worry about having a will translated into Arabic if you own property or significant assets in the UAE. If you have children you should organise a proper Letter of Wishes for an interim guardian as it is likely that long term guardians will not be in the UAE.

Take a look at these articles for information and let me know if you have any questions.

http://financialuae.me/2012/07/03/sh...nd-your-money/

http://financialuae.me/2013/02/06/wh...t-have-a-will/

archie159

Cynthia at http://www.trenchlaw.com/
She is a long-established fully-qualified lawyer in Dubai. A friend of mine used her to sort out a colleague's affairs (he had died without a will), and said she was brilliant. We subsequently used her to write our wills.