How does khula work in the UAE when the husband refuses to divorce?

Khula lets you end the marriage even though your husband refuses — that is what it exists for. You ask the court to dissolve the marriage in exchange for returning the mahr you received or paying agreed compensation. It does not touch your children's rights: child maintenance, custody and the children's expenses are owed to the children and cannot be bargained away. Weigh the alternative first: a harm-based divorce, if provable with evidence or witnesses, ends the marriage without giving up the mahr; khula is typically the path when harm is hard to prove or you want a cleaner break. The process goes through family guidance and conciliation first, then court — commonly months rather than weeks. Full step-by-step guide: Khula divorce in the UAE.