General UAE Legal Questions LawLaw No. (21) of 2015

Article (5) a. Where a Competent Court finds, in the course of litigation, that the fees paid are not commensurate with final claims, are less than the applicable fees, or are collected in contravention of this Law, it must issue an order instructing the claimant to pay the fee difference within a prescribed period. Where the claimant fails to comply with this order, the court must rule that the lawsuit is inadmissible; and if the pleadings in the lawsuit are closed, the court must order the claimant, in its judgement, to pay the fee difference. b. Where a judgement to be enforced awards an amount that differs from the claimed amount based on which the fee has been calculated at the time of registering the lawsuit, the executory formula may not be affixed to that judgement unless the payable fee difference is settled. In the event of dispute over the fee, the matter will be referred to the court that rendered the judgement to determine the dispute by noting down the payable amount on a transcript of the judgement. The court’s decision in this regard will be final. c. Where a judgement creditor fails to get the executory formula affixed to the judgement, within sixty (60) days from the date on which it is rendered, due to failure to settle the payable fee difference, the litigant held liable for the legal costs under the judgement will be bound to pay that fee difference. The clerk’s office of the Competent Court must estimate the payable fee, note down the fee amount on a transcript of the judgement, and present the same to the president of the court to issue an order to collect these fees from the party liable to pay them. This order will be enforced in accordance with the applicable procedures for enforcing writs of execution.

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 4 of 23 Rounding of Fractions

Article (8) The fees payable pursuant to this Law will not apply to the following categories, lawsuits, applications, and appeals: 1. lawsuits, appeals, or applications filed by ministries and federal or local government entities in the Emirate or in any other emirate of the United Arab Emirates; 2. appeals of alimony judgements; 3. amounts deposited by a trustee in bankruptcy on account of the bankruptcy estate; 4. amounts deposited by auction bidders on account of the price of real property; 5. amounts deposited by ministries and federal or local government entities for the account of concerned parties; 6. lawsuits regarding charitable endowments, or gifts and bequests dedicated for charity or allocated to charitable associations, where these lawsuits are filed by the relevant entities; 7. applications for Islam proclamation or for Embracing Islam Certificates; 8. attestation of applications for social aid; and 9. applications for death and succession certificates. Exemption from Fees

Article (9) The following lawsuits, appeals, applications, and categories are exempt from the fees payable under this Law:

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 5 of 23 1. lawsuits, appeals, and applications filed by labourers or their beneficiaries, pursuant to the above-mentioned Federal Law No. (8) of 1980, for an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand Dirhams (AED 100,000.00). Where a judgement requires the labourer’s adversary in litigation to pay legal fees and costs, judicial fees will be collected from this adversary in accordance with the judgement; 2. women and children who are victims of domestic violence and who are exempted from the fees pursuant to a decision issued by the Committee upon the request of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children; and 3. cases exempted from payment of the fees pursuant to a decision of the Committee made in coordination with the Department of Finance and in accordance with the relevant rules approved by the President of the Courts. Committee

Article (11) Where the Committee approves the deferral of or exemption from the payment of judicial fees, the following provisions will apply: 1. Without the need for a further decision in this regard, a decision on the deferral of, or exemption from, the payment of judicial fees will apply to all fees payable for all stages of litigation, and to any deposits or other amounts stipulated in this Law or in the legislation in force. 2. If a judgement is rendered dismissing, or declining to hear, a lawsuit filed by a person in whose favour a decision exempting him from the payment of judicial fees is issued, no fees or deposits may be collected from that person. If the judgement is rendered in his favour, the fees and deposits will be collected from the judgement debtor. 3. If a judgement is rendered dismissing, or declining to hear, a lawsuit filed by a person in whose favour a decision deferring the payment of judicial fees is issued,

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 6 of 23 the payable fees and any deposits or other amounts stipulated in this Law, or in the legislation in force, will be collected from that person. Refund of Fees

Article (12) a. The fee collected at the time of registering a lawsuit with the Competent Court will be refunded if the court rules in favour of any motion or application for: 1. interpretation of a judgement; 2. recusal of a judge, expert, or arbitrator; 3. correction of clerical mistake in a judgement; or 4. consideration of unaddressed claims. b. Fifty percent (50%) of the fee amount collected by a Competent Court will be refunded if the claimant abandons litigation or concludes a settlement with his adversary at the first session scheduled for hearing the lawsuit or appeal, and before opening pleadings. However, this applies only where the dispute has not been previously referred to the CASD. Party Liable to Pay or Challenge the Amount of Fees and Costs

Article (13) a. A party who is liable under a judgement to pay the legal costs of a lawsuit will be bound to pay the judicial fees of this lawsuit, and these fees will be settled accordingly. Appealing the judgement may not prevent the collection of judicial fees. b. A party who is liable under a judgement to pay the legal costs of a lawsuit may challenge the amount of these costs within eight (8) days from the date of serving the executory copy of the judgement on him. c. The challenge referred to in paragraph (b) of this Article will be submitted to the president of the Competent Court for determination, and his decision in this regard will be final. Chapter Two Rules for Assessment of Fees of Lawsuits Filed with First Instance Courts Lawsuits with Claims of Specific Value

Article (14) a. A fee of six percent (6%) of the relevant claim value will be collected in respect of the lawsuits filed with first instance courts and the civil lawsuits based upon criminal

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 7 of 23 lawsuits, except for family lawsuits. This fee may neither be less than five hundred Dirhams (AED 500.00) nor exceed: 1. twenty thousand Dirhams (AED 20,000.00), where the claim value does not exceed five hundred thousand Dirhams (AED 500,000.00); 2. thirty thousand Dirhams (AED 30,000.00), where the claim value ranges between five hundred thousand and one Dirhams (AED 500,001.00) and one million Dirhams (AED 1,000,000.00); or 3. forty thousand Dirhams (AED 40,000.00), where the claim value exceeds one million Dirhams (AED 1,000,000.00). b. Where the claim value in a labour lawsuit filed with a first instance court exceeds one hundred thousand Dirhams (AED 100,000.00), a fee of five percent (5%) of the claim value will be collected in respect of this lawsuit. However, this fee may not exceed twenty thousand Dirhams (AED 20,000.00). c. The lawsuits and applications filed with first instance courts and set forth in Schedule (1) attached to this Law will be subject to the fees indicated opposite each of them. Lawsuits with Claims of No Specific Value

Article (16) a. Where the lawsuit involves multiple claims of specific value arising from a single cause of action, the applicable fee will be assessed based on the total value of these claims. Where these claims arise from different causes of action, the fee will be assessed based on the value of each claim individually. b. Where the lawsuit involves an original and an alternative claim, the higher fee in respect of either claims will be collected. The value of any additional claims will be added to the original claim value, and the fee will be calculated based on the total value of claims.

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 8 of 23 c. Where the lawsuit involves multiple claims of no specific value, the fee will be collected based on the value of each claim individually if they arise from different causes of action, and will be collected based on the total value of these claims if they arise from a single cause of action. d. Where the lawsuit involves claims of specific value, and other claims of no specific value, the fee will be collected based on the value of each claim individually. Counterclaims and Applications for Intervention

Article (18) The fees for a contract-related lawsuit will be calculated as follows: 1. Where the subject of the lawsuit is an application to confirm the validity, annul, or revoke a contract, the fees will be calculated based on the value of the subject of the contract. 2. Where the subject of the lawsuit is an application to confirm the validity, annul, or revoke a continuing contract, the fees will be calculated based on the total monetary consideration for the entire period of contract. If the contract has been partially performed, the claim value will be deemed the monetary consideration for the remaining period of the contract, and the fees will be calculated based on this value. 3. Where the subject of the lawsuit is a contract of exchange or a barter agreement, the fees will be calculated based on the greater of the two values of the exchanged property or services. 4. Where the subject of the lawsuit is a claim for price reduction or increase, the fees will be calculated based on the amount of reduction or increase sought. Lawsuits Pertaining to Attachment or Real Rights

Article (29) a. A fee of fifty percent (50%) of the fee collected by the first instance court that renders a judgement in other than a family lawsuit will be collected in respect of the appeal from that judgement. This fee will be calculated as follows: 1. Where the appeal is from the whole judgement, the fee applicable to appeals will be collected in full. 2. Where the appeal is from a part of the judgement, the fee will be collected based on the value of this part. b. Where more than one person appeal a judgement which holds them jointly and severally liable for any obligation, the applicable appeal fee will be collected once from the person who files his appeal first. c. Where more than one person appeal a judgement which does not hold them jointly and severally liable for obligations, a separate fee will be collected in respect of the appeal of each person, regardless of whether the appellants file a single or multiple statements of appeal.

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 11 of 23 d. A fee of twenty five percent (25%) of the fee collected during the first instance stage will be collected if the appeal is from a judgement which determines a secondary claim without concluding the litigation and results in the stay of proceedings. Flat Fees for Appeal of Lawsuits

Article (37) a. When filing an appeal in a civil lawsuit, the appellant must deposit with the court treasury a cash amount of one thousand Dirhams (AED 1,000.00). b. When filing a cassation appeal of a civil lawsuit, the appellant must deposit with the court treasury a cash amount of three thousand Dirhams (AED 3,000.00). c. Where the cassation appeal is admitted and the litigation is concluded based on that appeal, the relevant deposit amount will be refunded to the person who has lodged it. d. Where the cassation appeal is not admitted, or partially or completely dismissed or rejected, the deposit amount stipulated in this Article will be confiscated.

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 13 of 23 Payment of Deposits in Criminal Lawsuits

Article (44) This Law will be published in the Official Gazette and will come into force on 1 September 2015. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Ruler of Dubai Issued in Dubai on 10 August 2015 Corresponding to 25 Shawwal 1436 A.H.

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 15 of 23 Schedule (1) Fees for Lawsuits and Applications SN Lawsuit/ Application Fee (in Dirhams) 1 Grievance against a repayment order 50% of the fee for application for repayment order (up to AED 10,000.00) 2 Recusal of a judge (an application submitted at any stage of litigation) 500.00 3 Recusal of an expert (an application submitted at any stage of litigation) 2,000.00 4 Appointment, removal, resignation, or recusal of arbitrators 1,000.00 5 Surrendering a passport or an identity card 500.00 6 Surrendering documents (where only the surrender of documents is required) 500.00 7 Establishing the authenticity of a signature 500.00 8 Confirmation of an attachment order (where the lawsuit is filed independently from the lawsuit brought to establish the right) 500.00 9 Annulment, amendment, or revocation of a company contract; or dissolution or liquidation of the company 2,000.00 10 Challenge to the sale of a commercial establishment 1,000.00 11 Annulment of a legal notification or summons 500.00 12 Revocation of a service agent/ national agent agreement 1,000.00 13 Establishing the forgery of a document (civil) 1,000.00 14 Challenging a garnishee statement 1,000.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 16 of 23 15 Annulment of enforcement procedures without claiming title to the whole real property or any part thereof 2,000.00 16 Annulment of sale by auction on the grounds that the purchaser is not authorised to participate in the auction 2,000.00 17 Establishing the trader capacity 3,000.00 18 Establishing the liability for the obligations of the predecessor-in-title of a commercial establishment 2,000.00 19 Prohibiting the use of, or cancelling, a trade name 2,000.00 20 Correction related to a current account 1,000.00 21 Opening a safe deposit box with a bank 1,000.00 22 Removal of a company manager 2,000.00 23 Removal of a partner from a general partnership or simple limited partnership 1,000.00 24 Annulment of the membership of a person in the board of directors of a company 2,000.00 25 Annulment of the formation of a board of directors of a company 2,000.00 26 Challenging the valuation of in-kind contribution 3,000.00 27 Termination of membership on the board of directors of a company 2,000.00 28 Annulment of a resolution of a company's board of directors or failure to issue a resolution 2,000.00 29 Establishing the liability of the board of directors of a company 3,000.00 30 Annulment of resolutions issued by the general assembly of a company 5,000.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 17 of 23 31 Cancelling a company’s general assembly meeting 2,000.00 32 Establishing the existence of a joint venture company 2,000.00 33 Establishing the liability of an auditor 3,000.00 34 Suing a liquidator due to the performance of his duties 2,000.00 35 Request by an author to withdraw a work of authorship from circulation 2,000.00 36 Review of the value of cash or in-kind consideration for the transfer of copyright (where the value cannot be determined) 1,000.00 37 Stopping copyright infringement 1,000.00 38 Establishing or disputing the ownership of a trademark 5,000.00 39 Objecting to trademark registration 3,000.00 40 Striking off a trademark 3,000.00 41 Revocation, withdrawal, or suspension of an administrative resolution without seeking compensation 1,000.00 42 Challenging the validity of the inventory of the property of an estate 1,000.00 43 Intervening in a lawsuit by joining a litigant without seeking a relief 500.00 44 Joinder of a party to a lawsuit 500.00 45 Provisional attachment 50% of the fee applicable to the lawsuit 46 Provisional attachment of a ship or aircraft 40,000.00 47 Replacement of the custodian of attached property 100.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 18 of 23 48 Limiting the attachment to specific property 500.00 49 Substitution of attached property 500.00 50 Grievance against a provisional attachment order, or against the dismissal of an application for provisional attachment order 300.00 51 Travel ban 1,000.00 52 Grievance against a travel ban order, or against the dismissal of an application for travel ban order 300.00 53 Order on petition 300.00 54 Grievance against an order on petition 200.00 55 Reinstatement of a struck-off lawsuit 20% of the fee collected in respect of the lawsuit or appeal 56 Resuming proceedings that have been stayed based on mutual agreement or pursuant to a court judgement 300.00 57 Stay of the enforcement or provisional enforcement of a judgement 300.00 58 Interpretation of a judgement 200.00 59 Correction of a clerical or calculation mistake 200.00 60 Offering and depositing money, movable property, or other property. 200.00 61 Request for an official transcript of a judgement 50.00 62 Surrendering house or shop keys 200.00 63 Affixing the executory formula AED 50.00 for the first application, and AED 100.00 for any subsequent application 64 Request for a judgement terminating litigation 300.00 65 Consideration of unaddressed claims 300.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 19 of 23 66 Reinstatement of proceedings to the pleading stage 300.00 67 Instructing a litigant to submit a document which is in his possession 1,000.00 68 Application for a certificate of experience 300.00 69 Permission to sell, by public auction, a commercial establishment's assets that are subject to a seller's or mortgagee's preferential rights 1,000.00 70 Opening a safe deposit box with a bank 1,000.00 71 Declaration of civil insolvency or interdiction of a bankrupt 500.00 72 Declaration of bankruptcy or for protective composition 2,000.00 73 Third-party challenge to a judgement declaring bankruptcy 2,000.00 74 Protective Composition 2000.00 75 Revoking a decision declaring bankruptcy 300.00 76 Revocation or annulment of a protective composition 5,000.00 77 Rehabilitation of a bankrupt 300.00 78 Challenging a judgement rehabilitating a bankrupt 500.00 79 Determining the period of liquidation or bankruptcy 200.00 80 Removal of a liquidator or a trustee in bankruptcy 1,000.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 20 of 23 Schedule (2) Fees for Lawsuits and Applications Filed with Family Courts SN Lawsuit/ Application Fee (in Dirhams) 1 Family affairs AED 100 per application, up to AED 2,000.00 2 Confirmation of paternity 1,000.00 3 Denial of paternity 1,000.00 4 Mutual oaths of condemnation ( Li’aan) to negate paternity 1,000.00 5 Interdiction 500.00 6 Revocation of interdiction 500.00 7 Revocation of guardianship over persons or property 500.00 8 Validation of a will 1,000.00 9 Revocation of a will 1,000.00 10 Annulment of a will 1,000.00 11 Establishing the prolonged absence of a husband ( Ghaibah) 500.00 12 Interpretation of a judgement 50.00 13 Consideration of unaddressed claims 50.00 14 Appointment, removal, or replacement of a guardian, custodian, or attorney 1,000.00 15 On-site inventory of the property of an estate and placement of the same under seal 500.00 16 Opening an estate’s file 200.00 17 Appointment, removal, or replacement of a guardian or liquidator of an estate 500.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 21 of 23 18 Submitting an application as part of the estate’s file 100.00 19 Distribution of the estate and settlement of its debts 500.00 20 Application for a travel ban order 100.00 21 Grievance against a travel ban order 50.00 22 Order on Petition 100.00 23 Grievance against an order on petition 50.00 24 Application for an order to continue to invest, or cease the investment of, the property of a minor in commercial activities 200.00 25 Surrendering custodial property to a minor who has reached the age of eighteen (18) 500.00 26 Certification or attestation 200.00 27 Reinstatement of a struck-off lawsuit 200.00 28 Resuming proceedings that have been stayed based on mutual agreement or pursuant to a court order 50.00 29 Stay of the enforcement or provisional enforcement of a judgement 50.00 30 On-site visit by a court employee 200.00 31 Request for an official transcript of a judgement 20.00 32 Affixing the executory formula 30.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 22 of 23 Schedule (3) Appeal Fees SN Description Fee (in Dirhams) 1 Appealing a stay-of-proceedings decision 300.00 2 Appealing a judgement dismissing a plea of lack of territorial, pecuniary, qualitative, or subject-matter jurisdiction 500.00 3 Grievance filed with an appellate court against ordering provisional enforcement of a judgement 300.00 4 Appealing the decision or order of an execution judge 300.00 5 Appealing a judgement rendered in a family lawsuit, except for alimony judgements 100.00 6 Application for stay of the enforcement of an appealed judgement 300.00 7 Petition for review of a judgement rendered in a family lawsuit 300.00 8 Application for stay of the enforcement of a judgement, rendered in a family lawsuit, in respect of which a petition for review is filed 300.00

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Law No. (21) of 2015 Concerning Judicial Fees of the Dubai Courts Page 23 of 23 Schedule (4) Enforcement Fees SN Description Fee (in Dirhams) 1 Application for joinder in enforcement proceedings 300.00 2 Challenging a decision approving the joinder of a party in enforcement proceedings 200.00 3 Challenging a distribution list issued by an execution judge 500.00 4 Application for challenging the enforcement of a judgement 500.00 5 Grievance against an execution judge’s decision 500.00 6 Application for imprisonment order against a debtor 200.00 7 Application for travel ban 300.00 8 Application for limiting the attachment to specific property of the judgement debtor 300.00 9 Application for a second on-site visit to enforce a judgement upon failure to complete the procedures during the first visit for reasons related to the applicant for enforcement 100.00 10 Application to enforce a relief awarded in a family lawsuit or claim, except for alimony judgements 50.00 11 Challenging the enforcement of a judgement issued by a family court 300.00

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