Ask Elhais

Question: 

My Wife lives separately and wants to divorce. So we decided to go for divorce through court here as changing the spouse and getting verified documents instead of through both jamaath . In that case can I responsible for giving any settle Amount to my wife( is any such provision she can ask for money from me through court)other than the maintenance of my kid

Answer: 

As per the recent amendment to the family law, the place where the marriage took place will determine the law that will be applied for financial rights related to marriage and divorce. There are some exceptions to this clause, and if your matter falls into one of these exemptions, then the UAE laws may be applied. In order to better understand your rights and obligations, it is advisable to meet with a legal consultant specializing in family law.

Disclaimer:
The above information might not apply if both parties are non-muslim. Starting from the 1st of February 2023, UAE issued specific family law to be applied between non-muslim expat residents in case none of them wanted to apply his/her home country’s law in the UAE.
To know more information about this law, please feel free to click this link.