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In the UAE, powers of attorney (POAs) are broadly divided into two categories. A general (or comprehensive) POA grants wide authority across many matters, such as managing finances, dealing with multiple properties, and representing the principal in a range of dealings. A special (or specific) POA grants authority limited to one defined task or matter, for example selling one named property, representing the principal in a single court case, or completing one company transaction. Beyond this split, POAs are often named by purpose, including property POA, court/litigation POA, banking POA, and company management POA, each tailored to its function. UAE notaries and government bodies interpret a POA strictly, so the agent can only act within the powers expressly written in it. For sensitive matters such as property sales, litigation, or disposing of assets, authorities usually expect a special POA that clearly names the task. Choosing the right type protects you from granting more authority than intended. If you are unsure which form suits your situation, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to advise on the correct POA type and wording.

You can revoke a power of attorney (POA) in the UAE at any time, as the principal retains the right to withdraw the authority they granted. Revocation is normally done before the same notary public department that notarised the original POA (for example, Dubai Courts' Notary Public or the Ministry of Justice notary in the relevant emirate). You attend with your identification and request a formal cancellation, which the notary records. Because third parties such as banks, the land department, or courts may have relied on the POA, it is important to notify the agent and any relevant institutions in writing that the authority has ended, so they stop acting on it. Until those parties are informed, actions the agent already completed within their authority may still bind you. A POA also ends automatically on the death or loss of legal capacity of the principal, on completion of the task, or on expiry. Keep proof of the revocation. If you are concerned the agent has misused the POA, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to advise on revocation and any further steps.

Labour cases in Dubai are heard by the labour division of Dubai Courts — unless your employer is in the DIFC, which has its own courts — and many hearings now take place remotely, so the missing location in your SMS may simply mean a video hearing. Look up your case on the Dubai Courts website or smart app using the case number: the file shows the hearing type, the time, and a link or instructions if it is remote. Early sessions are often case-management hearings handled online, with in-person attendance reserved for later stages at the Dubai Courts complex. Whatever the format, treat the date as mandatory — failing to appear, even virtually, can lead to the case being decided in your absence or struck out. Before the hearing, upload or bring your contract, payslips, the MOHRE referral letter and any evidence, and make sure your registered phone number is correct, since the courts notify by SMS. If the portal is confusing or the notice stays ambiguous, a licensed UAE lawyer can check the file and appear with you or on your behalf.

Most labour judgments can be appealed, but two things decide whether yours can: the value of the claim and the deadline. First instance judgments in claims below a statutory threshold are final and cannot be appealed, while larger claims go to the Court of Appeal — and the window to file is short, generally thirty days from when the judgment is issued or notified, depending on how the case proceeded. So your first move is to obtain the full reasoned copy of the judgment from the court and check the claim value stated in it. The fact that the written judgment does not address the overtime records you submitted is exactly the kind of ground appeals are built on: an appeal re-examines the case, and evidence the first court overlooked can be put squarely before the appellate judges. Do not wait for clarity to come to you — once the window closes, the judgment becomes final whatever its flaws. Take the judgment, your submissions and the overtime records to a licensed UAE lawyer this week so they can confirm appealability and file in time.

The proper way to close it is through the court, not by simply skipping the next hearing — an abandoned case can drag on, be decided in your absence, or be dismissed in ways that create loose ends. You have two clean options. The first is to file a written waiver or withdrawal of the claim with the case file, stating that the dispute has been settled. The second, often safer, is to attend the hearing and ask the court to record the settlement: the judge notes that the parties have resolved the matter, and the case is closed on that basis. Before doing either, pause on one detail in your message — the company has paid "most" of what you claimed. A full waiver of the case generally ends your right to pursue the remainder, so be certain the settlement agreement says exactly what was accepted in final settlement and what, if anything, is still due. If an instalment is outstanding, consider withdrawing only after the last payment lands, or recording the settlement terms in the court minutes so they remain enforceable. Withdrawing does not endanger money you have already received under a genuine settlement. A lawyer can draft the waiver so the case closes without putting your settlement at risk.

Yes — UAE civil courts accept electronic communications as evidence, and WhatsApp messages and voice notes are relied on in money disputes regularly. The modern evidence framework gives electronic records evidentiary weight, so the absence of a signed paper does not doom your claim, especially where the chat shows the amount, the acknowledgment of the debt and the missed repayment promises in the other party's own words. What the court will care about is authenticity: that the account genuinely belongs to him and the messages are complete and unaltered. So preserve carefully. Keep the original chat on your phone and do not delete or edit anything; export the full conversation with media rather than relying on screenshots alone; keep the phone itself, because a court-appointed expert can verify messages directly from the device if authenticity is challenged. Bank transfer records showing the money leaving your account corroborate the chat and matter almost as much. For filing, the material will need legal translation into Arabic. Before you commit to litigation, have a UAE litigation lawyer look at the chat and the transfers together — they can tell you quickly whether what you hold is enough to file on.

Winning was indeed only half the battle — the judgment itself does not move money. The second half is the execution file. Once a judgment is final, you open an execution case with the execution court at Dubai Courts, attaching the judgment. The court formally notifies the debtor to pay within a set period, and if he does not, the execution judge has real teeth: freezing bank accounts, attaching a portion of salary, seizing and auctioning vehicles, shares or property, imposing a travel ban, and summoning the debtor to disclose assets. In other words, the proceedings reach whatever the debtor actually owns — which is why the practical variable is not the law but the assets. If you know where he banks, works or holds property, tell the court; targeted attachment requests move much faster than fishing. Timelines vary accordingly: a debtor with a visible salary or account can be reached in weeks, while a debtor who has hidden assets takes longer and may need investigative steps. File sooner rather than later, since assets have a way of moving. An execution lawyer who knows how to trace assets is often the difference between a paper judgment and actual recovery.

Do not ignore it — that is the one move that genuinely makes things worse, because a court can decide the case in your absence. First, get the case number from the notification and look the case up on the Dubai Courts website or app, where you can see the hearing date, the claimant's filings and the deadlines that apply to you. Court proceedings are conducted in Arabic, so have the papers properly translated before deciding anything; the details of what is actually claimed matter. You are not required to stand up in court yourself: in civil cases a lawyer can be appointed to attend and file on your behalf, and personal attendance is usually unnecessary. What needs to happen before the hearing is a written defence memorandum responding to the claim, supported by your evidence — in a personal loan dispute, that means bank transfers, messages, and any record of repayments or the terms you agreed. Start gathering those now. Deadlines in civil litigation are short and procedural defaults are hard to repair, so take the papers to a UAE-licensed lawyer this week rather than waiting for the hearing date to arrive.