ADGM Wills in Abu Dhabi: Notarisation, Scope and Probate

ADGM Wills provide an official notarisation route for eligible non-Muslims planning the succession of UAE assets, the guardianship of minor children, or both. The ADGM Courts Notary Public and Wills Office performs the notarisation service, but it does not provide probate. Its official guidance directs post-death probate applications to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s Wills and Probate Office.

Mr AlBalooshi can assess whether the ADGM route is suitable, coordinate bilingual drafting, prepare the submission, address family and asset details, and support later ADJD probate or execution. Use the inquiry form or WhatsApp +971 50 627 5196. Start with nationality, residence, religion, family structure, every UAE asset and any existing UAE or foreign will.

The ADGM service is notarisation, not DIFC-style probate

The ADGM Courts Notary Public and Wills Office can notarise qualifying non-Muslim wills for three stated purposes: disposition of estate only, guardianship of minor children only, or both estate disposition and guardianship.

The office’s role must be described accurately. It reviews and notarises the will through the ADGM process. According to its official FAQ, it does not grant probate. After death, the relevant probate application is registered with the ADJD Wills and Probate Office. Asset transfers may then require further steps with land, bank, company or foreign authorities.

This differs from the DIFC Courts Wills Registry, where the DIFC Courts handle probate matters within their wills system. It also differs from a direct civil-will application through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. The correct route should be selected before drafting, because the format and post-death path are not interchangeable.

Current eligibility centres on non-Muslim status, age and assets

ADGM’s official Wills Office FAQ states that the service is available to non-Muslim individuals aged 21 or over who own assets in the UAE. Current requirements should always be rechecked before submission, particularly if residence, asset location or religion is unusual or disputed.

The will is personal. A company cannot make an individual’s will, although corporate shares can form part of an individual’s estate. Capacity and free consent must exist at notarisation. The testator should understand both language versions and the legal effect of the appointments and distributions.

If age, capacity or religion could be challenged, preserve reliable identity, civil-status and instruction records. Do not exaggerate eligibility by describing an ADGM company licence as proof that all personal assets fall within ADGM jurisdiction.

Bilingual drafting is an essential acceptance requirement

The ADGM official service requires the will in Arabic and English, certified by a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translator. This is not a cosmetic translation step. Both texts must identify the same people, assets, percentages, powers, substitutions and revocation provisions.

The official FAQ lists core information including the testator’s personal details and religion, appointment and powers of executors, guardians where applicable, beneficiaries and their identifying details, and the estate description and allocation.

Draft the English legal instructions first with precise asset and family data, then obtain certified translation and conduct a line-by-line reconciliation. Names should match passports and Emirates IDs. Company names should match licences and constitutional records. Property descriptions should match title deeds.

Ambiguity between the Arabic and English versions can create delay or dispute. Do not rely on machine translation for the certified instrument.

An estate-disposition will needs a complete residue plan

Specific gifts alone are rarely enough. Assets can be sold, renamed, replaced or acquired after registration. A sound instrument addresses specific dispositions, percentages, the residue, substitute beneficiaries, failed gifts and the order where a beneficiary dies before the testator.

Identify whether the will is intended to cover all UAE assets or defined property. The official FAQ states that the ADGM Notary Public can notarise a will concerning assets inside and outside the UAE, but any grant of probate for foreign assets is made in the jurisdiction where those assets are located. A broad clause therefore does not eliminate foreign probate.

Coordinate overseas wills carefully. Revocation language should not accidentally cancel another-country instrument. Foreign advisers may need to confirm tax and forced-heirship consequences outside the UAE.

Executors require authority, substitutes and practical ability

The executor named in an ADGM will is expected to carry out the testamentary instructions through the appropriate probate and implementation processes. Select a person or permitted entity willing and able to act, and name substitutes.

The will should define powers clearly enough to collect assets, address liabilities, deal with claims, obtain valuations and complete distributions, subject to applicable law and the probate order. The executor must keep estate property separate and account to beneficiaries.

Residence outside the UAE is not automatically impractical, but travel, documents, banking, language and representation should be considered. A conflict-prone beneficiary may be a poor choice where transparency is likely to be contested.

Guardianship wording should anticipate the first days and later years

An ADGM will may be notarised solely for guardianship or combine guardianship with estate disposition. Parents should identify the children precisely and nominate primary and substitute guardians who have agreed to act.

Separate immediate care from permanent arrangements. A trusted adult in the UAE may be needed while an overseas permanent guardian handles immigration, travel and foreign court steps. The nomination remains subject to the competent authority, legal eligibility and the child’s welfare.

Financial administration also needs planning. The person caring for the child should not automatically have unrestricted access to inherited capital. Executor powers, maintenance, education, medical needs and accountability should be addressed coherently.

The digital submission still requires careful document preparation

ADGM describes the Notary Public and Wills Office as fully digital, with requests submitted through its eCourts Platform. The current service page and FAQ should be checked for account, upload, appointment, identification and payment requirements.

Prepare the final bilingual will, identity records and supporting documents in clear, complete form. Asset evidence can include title deeds, account confirmations, company records and any document needed to verify the described interest. Guardianship instructions require accurate child and guardian details.

Do not sign or alter the document contrary to the Notary Public’s instructions. During the appointment, the testator should have a reliable connection, original identification available and sufficient privacy to demonstrate independent understanding and consent.

Notarisation does not establish title to every listed asset

The notarised will records instructions; it does not convert another person’s property into estate property. A jointly held account, family home, company asset or mortgaged share requires ownership analysis.

For real estate, verify the registered percentage, emirate and finance. For accounts, separate the testator’s beneficial balance from a co-holder’s property. For companies, distinguish shares owned by the testator from assets owned by the legal entity.

Insurance and employment benefits may have nomination or scheme rules requiring separate assessment. Digital assets need ownership, custody and access planning without exposing private keys in the will.

ADJD probate is required after the testator’s death

The ADGM Wills Office expressly states that it does not provide probate. The applicant must approach the ADJD Wills and Probate Office after death. The process establishes authority and permits the will to be implemented through the relevant Abu Dhabi judicial route.

Prepare the death certificate, notarised will, identity and civil-status records, executor information, asset inventory and liabilities. Foreign documents may require legalisation or apostille where applicable, UAE attestation and certified Arabic translation.

Probate is not the final asset-transfer step. The executor may need orders or letters for each bank, property registry, company authority or foreign jurisdiction. Estate debts and expenses must be addressed before distributing the net estate.

Direct ADJD civil wills remain a separate Abu Dhabi option

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department also publishes a direct Civil Family Court will route and bilingual forms. Its official FAQ describes online submission, review, fee payment, video appointment, certification and notarisation.

An ADGM-notarised will and a direct ADJD civil will should not be described as identical. Compare eligibility, drafting format, authority, fees, administration and the intended assets. A client may prefer one after reviewing the full circumstances, but the choice should not be driven by a marketing label.

Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 and Cabinet Resolution No. 122 of 2023 also provide the federal civil personal-status background for qualifying non-Muslims. The precise interaction should be analysed for the testator and estate.

Revisions should follow a formal, coordinated route

Review the will after marriage, divorce, a birth, death or incapacity of an appointee, relocation, asset changes or business restructuring. A private note or email should not be treated as an effective amendment to a notarised instrument.

Any replacement should clearly address the earlier ADGM will and foreign wills. Arrange fresh translation and notarisation as required. Keep the current notarised copy and reference safely accessible to the executor.

Where capacity might later be disputed, act early and ensure independent instructions. The adviser should avoid allowing a beneficiary to dictate terms or translate informally for the testator.

Disputes can concern both the instrument and administration

Potential claims include lack of capacity, coercion, translation inconsistency, forgery, later revocation, incorrect asset ownership, omitted beneficiaries or executor misconduct. Preserve the notarisation record, certified translations, instructions, identification and asset evidence.

After death, maintain an inventory and ledger. Do not remove estate property, conceal accounts or pay one beneficiary without authority. Use ADJD procedures for disclosure, expert evidence and challenges.

Any settlement must account for creditors, minors, absent beneficiaries and implementation by asset authorities. A family agreement alone may not transfer registered property.

Mr AlBalooshi can coordinate ADGM and ADJD stages

Mr AlBalooshi can compare the ADGM, direct ADJD, DIFC and Dubai Courts routes; prepare a bilingual drafting brief; coordinate certified translation and submission; review appointments and asset scope; and assist with ADJD probate and estate disputes.

Describe the intended appointments and the assets concerned through the inquiry form. The scope of any assistance is confirmed after review. Upload identity records, family details, title and account evidence, company documents, all existing wills and proposed executor and guardian information. For legal intake, WhatsApp +971 50 627 5196. Notarisation, probate and transfer decisions remain with the competent authorities.

Prepare the future probate file while the testator can explain it

A clear will is easier to administer when the supporting records are organised. Keep a confidential inventory showing the legal owner, institution, account or title reference, location, currency, approximate value, finance and intended will coverage. Add marriage, birth, divorce and name-change documents that prove the relationships used in the instrument.

Record how the executor can locate the notarised will and the ADGM submission reference. Keep certified translations and any later amendments together. Do not place passwords, banking credentials or cryptocurrency seed phrases in the will or an unsecured file.

Where the estate involves a family company, prepare current constitutional documents, licence, shareholder register, shareholder agreement and succession arrangements. This does not replace probate, but it helps the representative distinguish personal shares from company property and identify transfer restrictions early.

An orderly record also helps detect changes that require a formal will review. The acquisition of a new property, closure of an account or death of an executor should prompt legal assessment instead of a handwritten update.

Frequently asked questions

Brief multilingual overview

Official sources for ADGM wills and ADJD probate

• ADGM Courts Notary Public and Wills Office
• ADGM Courts Wills Office FAQs
• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Civil Family Court
• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Civil Family Court FAQs
• Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status
• Cabinet Resolution No. 122 of 2023

Related Abu Dhabi and UAE inheritance guides

• Inheritance and Estate Planning
• Non-Muslim Inheritance
• DIFC Wills
• registering a will with Dubai Courts
• Probate and Estate Administration
• appointing a guardian in a will
• Book a Consultation