UAE Personal Status Court Practice (Printed Book)

This is the second book in Lexis Middle East’s UAE Family Law series, and follows on from Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court Practice.

The enactment of Federal Decree-Law No. 41/2022 on Civil Personal Status for Non-Muslims, and Federal Decree-Law No. 41/2024,which is the new primary Personal Status Law, has led to a new era in family law in the UAE. The familiar framework has gone replaced by a new dual-track system where the religious and civil regimes operate side by side within a unified Federal judiciary. The question in any UAEpersonal status case is no longer simply:‘what does the law say?’, but which law applies, in which court, to which parties, and subject to which limits of public order? A mistake at that point can now carry serious consequences. This book explains how to navigate that complex new UAE regime. It is a practical and analytical guide to the UAE Personal Status Court system as it currently operates - a system in which Sharia-based principles continue to govern Muslim personal status, while a parallel civil regime now regulates the family lives of non-Muslims.

The aim of this book is to make that system intelligible. It addresses, in a structured and accessible way, the substantive law governing marriage, divorce, custody, maintenance, property, and inheritance under both regimes. It explains the procedural pathways through which personal status disputes are commenced, managed, adjudicated, appealed, and enforced. It examines the decisive role of religion as a jurisdictional gateway, the limits imposed by public order, and the growing influence of international norms in child welfare and civil family justice on the UAE system.