Personal Status Law
قانون الأحوال الشخصية
Personal Status Law is the body of law that governs marriage, divorce, child custody, guardianship, inheritance, and wills in the UAE. For Muslims, the federal Personal Status Law — most recently Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 — applies and draws substantially on Islamic Sharia. For non-Muslims, Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status introduced a secular, gender-neutral family regime covering marriage formation, joint custody, no-fault divorce, and equal inheritance, and Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021 runs a dedicated Non-Muslim Family Court. Parties may choose to apply the law of their country of nationality to their personal status under certain conditions. Courts applying personal status law are typically a specialised division of the Court of First Instance.
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قانون الأحوال الشخصية هو منظومة القواعد التي تحكم الزواج والطلاق وحضانة الأبناء والولاية والميراث والوصايا في الإمارات. يُطبَّق على المسلمين قانون الأحوال الشخصية الاتحادي — حالياً المرسوم بقانون اتحادي رقم 41 لسنة 2024 — المستند إلى أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية. أما غير المسلمين فيخضعون للمرسوم بقانون اتحادي رقم 41 لسنة 2022 بشأن الأحوال الشخصية للمدنيين الذي أرسى نظاماً أسرياً مدنياً محايداً جنسياً يشمل الزواج والحضانة المشتركة والطلاق دون الحاجة لإثبات ضرر والميراث بالتساوي، وقد أنشأت إمارة أبوظبي بموجب قانونها رقم 14 لسنة 2021 محكمة مستقلة للأسرة لغير المسلمين. ويجوز للأطراف اختيار تطبيق قانون دولة جنسيتهم على أحوالهم الشخصية وفق شروط. وتختص عادة دائرة متخصصة في محكمة الدرجة الأولى بتطبيق قانون الأحوال الشخصية.
Related terms
Post-Dated Cheque
A post-dated cheque carries a future date, used in the UAE as a deferred payment tool — most famously in rent, where a y
Penal Order
A penal order is a streamlined criminal decision issued by the Public Prosecution (or a judge in some settings) for desi
Family Guidance Committee
The Family Guidance Committee is the mandatory conciliation stage that precedes most personal status litigation in UAE c
90-Day Notice
The 90-day notice is the written notice a party — in practice almost always the landlord — must give before a Dubai tena
Absconding Case
An absconding case (bulaq taghayyub) is a formal report filed by a UAE employer or sponsor with the Ministry of Human Re
Abu Dhabi Investment Zones
Abu Dhabi investment zones are the designated areas of the emirate — including Al Reem Island, Yas Island, Saadiyat Isla
Related legislation
Cabinet Resolution No. (122) of 2023 Concerning the Executive Regulation of Federal Decree-Law No. (41) of 2022 on the Civil Personal Status
Federal Law No. 21 of 1997 Determining the Dowry in the Marriage Contract and the Expenses thereof
Regulation No. (9) of 2008 Concerning the Change of Names of Natural Persons in the Emirate of Dubai
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