Introduction
In Part I of the series, we discussed the overall personal status laws applicable in the UAE, the court's jurisdiction over foreign residents in the UAE and the types of divorces recognized in the UAE. In this Part II of the ongoing series, we will understand the application of foreign law in personal law matters in the UAE and the types of claims usually seen in divorce matters.
Application of Foreign Law
Expatriates may want to apply foreign law in the UAE for their personal matters. The application of foreign laws is subject to two main rules:
- The law of the State where marriage was concluded (Article 13). As an example, if citizens of India concluded their marriage in the UK, the law of the UK will apply.
- Dual nationality of the party (Article 24). If a party has dual nationalities, the courts may reject the application of foreign law and UAE law may become applicable even if the marriage was concluded abroad. The courts exercise discretionary powers while considering the application of foreign laws, based on the merits of individual cases.
Claims
In case the divorce has been granted, a wife is entitled to claim certain financial rights. These rights are given following the UAE laws. Some of these rights could be as follows.
A. Dowry (Mahr): It is an amount which is agreed between the parties at the time of marriage and is of two types: (i) prompt dowry (mokadam), which is paid at the time of marriage; and (ii) deferred or late payment (moajal), which is written in the contract. The deferred payment is payable at the time of divorce.
B. Compensation for divorce (nafket motta'a): Compensation is to be given to the wife in case the divorce was issued to the wife by the husband with no valid ground. According to the UAE Personal Status Law, the compensation amount will not be given to the wife if she was an applicant in the divorce proceedings.
C. Reimbursement of backdated expenses: In case the husband has not financially supported the wife, the wife has the right to claim back-dated expenses which are equivalent to the wife's day-to-day expenses for the last 36 months. If the wife claims such expenses, the husband would have to prove that he had financially supported the wife. If case of failure to prove such support, the court may order the husband to pay such amounts to the wife.
D. Maintenance: Maintenance can be claimed by the wife during marriage, during the waiting period (iddah) and for the children. She also has the right to seek a custodian salary.
During Marriage
A wife has a right to claim maintenance support from the husband, subject to the financial ability of the husband. However, a husband cannot claim maintenance.
Child Support
The right to claim child support from the father is established under Article 78 of the UAE Personal Status Law. Both Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have their guidelines on the amount to be given as child support, which depends on the number of kids and the husband's financial ability.
Custodian Salary
Custodian salary is the salary given to the wife for taking care of the children and is one of the amounts which is provided to the wife as part of alimony.
Property Claims
The husband could file a financial claim on the joint assets if he is the sole contributor to such assets.
Conclusion
We have discussed the issues relating to the divorce including the claims applicable.
But in whose custody do the children fall? What are the protections against the relocation and kidnapping of children? We will explore this and more in the next Part of this series.
Legal Update:
A new personal status law, the Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status, came into effect in February 2023 for non-Muslims in the UAE. It introduces changes in marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance, and more. This law applies to all non-Muslims, whether citizens or expatriates, and covers areas such as family mediation, rights of the parties, divorce procedures, Gregorian calendar usage, and joint custody. It also allows for civil marriage, equal rights in divorce requests, and addresses matters like alimony, custody, inheritance, and parentage. Non-Muslim expatriate residents can choose this law if they don't want to apply their home country's law in the UAE. Stay updated for more information on this law.
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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.