DIFC Courts expand scope of wills services across the UAE
Changes have been made to the rules of wills registrations, which will now accommodate all resident and investor assets across the Emirates, as well as assets held outside the UAE.
The DIFC Courts has announced changes to the rules of wills registrations, which will now accommodate all resident and investor assets across the Emirates, as well as assets held outside the UAE. Effective from July 1, 2019, the Courts’ Wills Service Centre also confirmed that existing wills registered with the Courts can be amended free-of-charge until August 31, 2019, to include UAE-wide assets and assets outside the UAE.
Zaki Bin Azmi, chief justice, chief registrar, said, “With almost eight million expatriates residing in the UAE, the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts recognised the need for an innovative legal solution for non-Muslims that provides peace of mind for residents and investors, as well as enhance Dubai and the UAE’s attractiveness as a destination for expatriate talent and investment. Recognising the increased demand, we have now amended our rules to expand the remit of this public service to assets across all the emirates of the UAE and beyond.”
Launched in 2015, the DIFC Courts established an additional ancillary service in the form of the Wills Service Centre (the ‘Wills Service’), a joint initiative of the Government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts that gives non-Muslims living and investing in the UAE the option to pass on their assets and/or appoint guardians for their children, in accordance with the instructions in their Will.
As the first jurisdiction in the MENA region to offer this service, establishing a will with the DIFC Courts ensures your assets will be distributed in accordance with your wishes, providing certainty for you and your family.
Since this service began in 2015, the DIFC Courts have registered over 5,000 wills, with more than 85 lawyers representing more than 80 law firms, based in the UAE and overseas, registered as Wills Draftsmen.
