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1082 questions

Real Estate / Property

Can a landlord increase rent in the middle of a tenancy contract in Dubai?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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No. In Dubai, a landlord cannot lawfully increase the rent during the term of a valid tenancy contract. The agreed rent is fixed for the duration of the contract, and any change can only take effect at renewal. Under the tenancy law (Law No. 26 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 33 of 2008), if the landlord wants to change the rent or other terms for the next term, this must be agreed with the tenant at least 90 days before the current contract expires, unless both parties agree to something different. So a mid-term demand for higher rent has no legal force, and you are entitled to continue paying the contracted amount until expiry. At renewal, any increase is further limited by the RERA rental index sliding scale in Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013, which you can check using the official calculator on the Dubai Land Department site or Dubai REST app. If a landlord pressures you mid-term, document it and, if needed, file at the Rental Dispute Center under DLD. You can compare verified UAE tenancy lawyers on LEXAI for support.

Medical Malpractice

What rights do patients have under the UAE Medical Liability Law?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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The UAE Medical Liability Law (Federal Law No. 4 of 2016) sets out duties for healthcare practitioners and corresponding protections for patients. Broadly, patients are entitled to care that meets recognised professional standards, to be informed about their condition and treatment, and to give informed consent before procedures, with specific rules for situations such as surgery and emergencies. The law also frames practitioners' obligations around honesty, confidentiality of medical information, and not exposing patients to unjustified harm. Where these duties are breached and a medical error causes injury, the law provides a structured route: complaints are reviewed by a Medical Liability Committee of specialists, serious cases by a higher body, and patients may pursue disciplinary, civil-compensation, and in grave cases criminal outcomes. The law deliberately distinguishes genuine errors from complications that arise despite correct care, which protects both patients and practitioners. The detailed rights and their conditions are defined in the law and its implementing regulations, so confirm specifics against the current text. To understand how these rights apply to your situation, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI.

Medical Malpractice

Can I sue a clinic in the UAE for a botched cosmetic surgery?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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Cosmetic and aesthetic procedures are covered by the same medical-liability framework as other treatment in the UAE, so if a botched cosmetic surgery resulted from a medical error you can pursue a complaint and compensation. Under the UAE Medical Liability Law (Federal Law No. 4 of 2016), you would file with the relevant health regulator (DHA in Dubai, DOH in Abu Dhabi, or the Ministry of Health and Prevention elsewhere), and a Medical Liability Committee would review whether the practitioner met the recognised standard of care and whether any failure caused your harm. Cosmetic cases can be nuanced: a result you are unhappy with is not automatically an error, and properly obtained informed consent about risks and realistic outcomes is often central. Strong evidence includes your medical records, before-and-after documentation, the consent forms you signed, and independent medical assessment of the outcome. If an error is established, you may seek civil compensation for the harm, with disciplinary or criminal consequences in serious cases. Because consent and causation are key, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to assess your specific case.

Medical Malpractice

What happens after I file a medical complaint with a UAE health authority?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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After you submit a medical complaint to a UAE health regulator, the authority typically registers it, gives a reference number, and reviews whether it falls within its remit. If the complaint alleges a medical error, it is referred under the UAE Medical Liability Law (Federal Law No. 4 of 2016) to a Medical Liability Committee of specialists. That committee gathers the medical file, may seek the practitioner's response and additional information, and assesses whether an error occurred and how serious it was, issuing a written technical opinion. Depending on its findings, the matter can lead to disciplinary action by the regulator, support a civil-compensation claim you pursue in court, or, for a gross error causing severe harm, move toward criminal proceedings. If a party disagrees with the committee's conclusion, the law allows review by a higher medical-liability body whose decision carries greater authority. Throughout, keep copies of your submissions and any correspondence. Because the committee's opinion can shape everything that follows, presenting clear evidence matters, and you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to help you respond at each stage.

Medical Malpractice

Is informed consent required before surgery in the UAE, and what if it wasn't obtained?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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Informed consent is an important requirement in UAE healthcare, and the law expects practitioners to inform patients about their condition and proposed treatment and to obtain consent before procedures, with particular care for surgery and certain interventions, subject to recognised exceptions such as genuine emergencies. The UAE Medical Liability Law (Federal Law No. 4 of 2016) frames disclosure and consent as part of a practitioner's duties toward the patient. If a procedure was carried out without proper informed consent, or you were not adequately told of material risks, that can be relevant to a medical-liability complaint, especially where the lack of consent or disclosure connects to the harm you suffered. When a complaint is filed, a Medical Liability Committee reviews the records, including the consent documentation, to assess whether the practitioner met the required standard. The exact consent rules and their exceptions are defined in the law and implementing regulations, so the position in your case should be confirmed against the current text. Keep the consent forms you signed as evidence. You can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to evaluate a consent-related concern.

Medical Malpractice

Who decides whether a doctor committed malpractice in the UAE?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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In the UAE, whether a practitioner committed a medical error is decided primarily on expert medical assessment rather than by the patient or the court alone. Under the UAE Medical Liability Law (Federal Law No. 4 of 2016), a complaint is first examined by a Medical Liability Committee made up of medical specialists, which reviews the file and issues a technical opinion on whether an error occurred and how serious it was. If a party disputes that opinion, the law provides for review by a higher medical-liability committee whose decision carries greater weight and is generally relied upon in subsequent proceedings. Courts and prosecutors typically defer to these specialist findings on the clinical questions, then apply the law to decide on compensation, disciplinary measures, or, in grave cases, criminal liability. This layered structure is meant to ensure complex medical judgments are made by qualified experts. The exact composition and procedure of these bodies are set in the law and its regulations and are administered through the health authorities. Because the committee's view can be decisive, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to help present your evidence effectively.

UAE Personal Status (Non-Muslim)

How do I register a will at the DIFC Wills Service Centre in the UAE?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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Non-Muslims can register a will through the DIFC Courts Wills Service, a dedicated registry that lets you direct how your UAE-based assets are distributed under common-law principles of testamentary freedom rather than default Sharia succession. In practice you draft a will in the prescribed format, choose the will type that matches your needs (for example a full will or an assets-only will), and register it with the DIFC Courts so it is legally recognised and can later be admitted to probate. Registration can typically be done in person at the centre or, for certain will types, remotely by video. You appoint executors and, if you have children, guardians. After death, your executor applies to the DIFC Courts for a grant to administer the estate. Exact fees, document requirements and appointment steps are set by the DIFC Courts and should be confirmed directly on their official site, as they are periodically updated. If you want help comparing your options, you can browse verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI who handle estate planning for non-Muslims.

UAE Personal Status (Non-Muslim)

DIFC will vs ADJD will — which should an expat in the UAE choose?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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Both the DIFC Courts Wills Service and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) registry let non-Muslims direct their estate under principles of testamentary freedom instead of default Sharia succession, so the choice usually comes down to where your assets sit, where your family lives, and which court you want to handle probate. A DIFC will is administered by the DIFC Courts (a common-law court) and is well established for Dubai-centred estates, while an ADJD will is administered through Abu Dhabi's courts and aligns with Abu Dhabi's civil personal status system. Coverage, recognised will types and the enforcement pathway differ between the two registries, and which one is more convenient depends on your specific portfolio and family situation. Neither is inherently "better"; the right answer is fact-specific. Because procedural details and the scope each registry covers are set by the respective courts and change over time, verify the current position on the DIFC Courts and Abu Dhabi government official sites. An estate-planning lawyer, several of whom list on LEXAI, can map your assets to the right registry.

UAE Personal Status (Non-Muslim)

Does a DIFC will cover assets outside Dubai across the UAE?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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A will registered through the DIFC Courts Wills Service is designed to deal with assets in the UAE, and its reach has expanded over time beyond Dubai through cooperation arrangements, but the exact geographic scope of what a DIFC will can cover is defined by DIFC Courts rules and any memoranda with other emirates. In practice many non-Muslims use a DIFC will to cover UAE-based movable and immovable assets, with executors then applying to the DIFC Courts for a grant. Whether a specific asset in another emirate is fully covered can depend on the asset type (for example real estate versus bank accounts or company shares) and on local registration requirements in that emirate. Because the precise coverage and any cross-emirate recognition are set by the DIFC Courts and can be updated, confirm the current scope on their official site before assuming a single DIFC will captures everything. If your assets are spread across emirates, an estate-planning lawyer on LEXAI can advise whether one will suffices or whether a separate ADJD or home-country will is also needed.

UAE Personal Status (Non-Muslim)

What is the Non-Muslim Personal Status Law in the UAE?

Jun 26, 2026·1 answers
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The UAE introduced a federal civil personal status framework for non-Muslims — Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status — to govern family matters for non-Muslim residents and citizens on a civil rather than Sharia basis. It addresses areas such as civil marriage, divorce, custody of children, and inheritance, and it generally reflects principles like spousal equality and testamentary freedom, meaning non-Muslims can largely choose how their estate is distributed by making a will. Abu Dhabi also has its own civil marriage law administered through its courts, and the federal law extended a civil option more broadly across the emirates. The aim is to give expatriates a family-law system closer to what many are familiar with from their home countries, while still being applied by UAE courts. Because specific provisions, conditions and procedures are defined in the law and its regulations and can be detailed, confirm how a particular rule applies to your situation through official sources or a qualified lawyer. You can find UAE family-law professionals who advise non-Muslims on civil marriage, divorce and wills on LEXAI.

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