Notarising your Will in Dubai
Wills to become easier for expats
Dubai Life is about to get simpler for expatriates who want to make a will.
Judge Jasem Baqer, the head of the preliminary court, has issued a decision that wills for non-Muslims can be attested by the Dubai Public Notary starting in October.
The one-stop procedure will replace the three steps necessary now.
Currently, documents must be attested at the expats embassy or consulate, then taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then to the Ministry of Justice in Dubai. Some private companies have been licensed to do the work in the Free Zones,
Abdullah Abdel Wahed al Ali, the administration manager at the Public Notary, said that under the new system, those who wish to attest their will must come in person or have someone with power of attorney attend on their behalf.
The person must declare his or her personal assets within the emirate or abroad, whether they be property or financial.
The will can generally cover all the persons assets or it can be specific to certain assets.
The estate of an expat who dies without a will is handled under Sharia law, with proportions of the property specified. Under the old system, it costs Dh1,500 to Dh2,000 including Arabic translation to attest wills. The fees for the new system are not yet known.
Expat Wills Note
For those Expats who wish to make a Will for their UAE ONLY assets local Notarization will make the process easier. However, it must be noted that a Will notarised & stamped by a UAE Notary Public may not be acceptable to your home country probate courts.
Publish date: 17/09/10 7:44
Source: The National