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In a case like yours, the shares are fixed by the rules of faraid: two or more daughters together take two-thirds of the estate, shared equally among them. Other fixed-share heirs — a surviving wife or the deceased's mother, for example — take their prescribed portions as well. What your relatives are referring to is the remainder: where there is no son, the residue after the fixed shares typically passes to the nearest male relatives on your father's side, which can include his brothers. So the uncles' claim is not invented, but it applies only to what is left after your two-thirds and the other fixed shares — they do not displace you. Two things are worth checking early. First, whether your father left a will: a will can direct up to one-third of the estate and may change the picture. Second, once the court determines the legal shares, all heirs can agree among themselves to a different distribution, which families often use to settle matters amicably. Begin by obtaining the heirship determination and opening the inheritance file. An inheritance lawyer can calculate the exact shares for your family tree and manage the court process.

Expect two stages, and the first is usually faster than people fear. Stage one is the heirship determination — the court document that records who the legal heirs are. It requires the death certificate, identity documents and supporting witnesses, and for a straightforward family it is typically issued relatively quickly. Stage two is the inheritance file itself: inventorying the assets, settling any debts, and distributing the shares. How long this takes depends almost entirely on the estate — a simple estate with local bank accounts can conclude within months, while estates with property, business interests or disagreement between heirs run longer. The bank freeze you have encountered is standard: accounts stay blocked until the court orders release, so the sooner the heirship determination is obtained, the sooner everything else can move. Heirs do not all need to be in the UAE. Anyone abroad can sign a power of attorney before a UAE embassy, attested for use here, allowing a representative to act for them. Foreign documents such as marriage or birth certificates will need attestation and legal translation. A lawyer holding powers of attorney from the heirs can usually run the entire process without anyone travelling.