UAE wills & succession planning
Wills and succession-planning advice for UAE and cross-border assets, including family objectives, registry options, executors and coordination with registered practitioners.
Discuss this matter
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Make the intended succession clear before it becomes urgent
A will should be considered in the context of the family, the assets and the countries involved. Existing wills, jointly held property and company interests can affect how a new arrangement should be approached.
The UAE has more than one relevant wills and personal-status framework. DIFC and Abu Dhabi provide distinct routes with their own conditions. Selecting a route requires an individual assessment rather than assuming that one set of rules applies to every expatriate.
How the firm can assist
The firm can help clarify succession objectives, organise the estate information and consider the appropriate legal pathway. Where a registry requires a specifically registered practitioner, that work must be coordinated with an eligible professional.
- Identify assets, intended beneficiaries, executors and relevant family circumstances.
- Review existing wills and the interaction between countries and ownership structures.
- Consider implementation, future changes and the documents required by the selected route.
- An asset inventory with ownership details and locations.
- Family information, beneficiaries and existing wills.
- Any business interests, guardianship concerns or overseas advice.
An initial outline is enough. Detailed records can follow through a process agreed with the firm.
Questions clients often ask
Can the firm prepare a DIFC-registered will directly?
DIFC requires wills prepared by lawyers to be prepared by registered Wills Draftsmen. The firm’s offered role is advice and coordination with an appropriately registered practitioner where required.
Does a UAE will settle every overseas issue?
No. Recognition and implementation abroad depend on the relevant jurisdiction. Foreign assets and existing wills should be reviewed together to avoid conflicting arrangements.
Define the mandate
Clarify your objectives, the jurisdictions involved and any immediate deadline.
Review the legal position
Examine the relevant documents and identify the decisions requiring advice.
Agree the next steps
Set out the work, professional responsibilities and practical sequence.
Experience with a personal point of contact
Hyam El Hachem is an Attorney at Law with the Beirut Bar Association. Following her training at Awada Tyan Law Firm, she established her own firm in 1996 and expanded her practice to the UAE in 2005.
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