What are the court tiers in the UAE civil court system?

The UAE civil court system is typically organised into three tiers. A case usually begins at the Court of First Instance, where it is heard and an initial judgment is given. A party who is unhappy with that judgment can take it to the Court of Appeal, which can re-examine the facts and the law and may uphold, vary, or overturn the first decision. The highest level is the Court of Cassation (in emirates with their own judiciary, such as Dubai), or the Federal Supreme Court at the federal level, which generally reviews only points of law and proper application of procedure rather than re-trying the facts. This structure exists in both the federal judiciary and the independent local judiciaries of certain emirates. The financial free zones, DIFC and ADGM, run their own separate court structures in English for matters within their jurisdiction. Knowing the tiers matters because the right to appeal and the deadlines to do so depend on the stage your case is at. Deadlines for appeals are fixed by procedural law and should be confirmed, as missing them can end your case. You can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI for help.