The appointment of a lawyer is an important step in enabling the start of proceedings. The appointment of a lawyer must be done in accordance with the Laws that regulate lawyers. There are two documents that must be signed with your lawyer prior to starting work;
The letter of Engagement is a document outlining the scope of work of the lawyer and the fees payable by the client retaining the lawyer. Other terms and conditions are also laid out for the purposes of clarity. This document must be signed between the client an attorney to avoid any doubts as to their roles and obligations.
The Power of Attorney is a document authorizing the attorney to represent the client in court or otherwise. The Power of Attorney must be signed in the notary Public and Notarized before it can be accepted as a valid document. The POA can be in Arabic for Arabic speakers and Arabic and English for non-arabic speakers.
For accused Criminal cases in Dubai are the only exceptions to the notarized Power of Attorney. They do not need to be signed in front of the notary.
