UAE Family Law Glossary: English-Arabic Legal Terms

UAE family law terms must be read in their legal context. Hadana can refer to day-to-day custody, while wilayah concerns guardianship or legal authority. Talaq, khula and judicial dissolution are not interchangeable. Civil no-fault divorce is a separate route from Muslim personal-status divorce. A familiar English label such as “alimony” may also be too broad to identify the actual UAE claim.

Use this searchable English-Arabic glossary to understand a court document, prepare questions or locate a relevant guide. The short explanations are orientation only. They do not replace the Arabic text of legislation, the wording of a judgment or individual advice. Transliteration varies, so nafaqa may appear as nafakah, and hadana as hadanah.

If a term appears in a notice, judgment, settlement or foreign document, send the complete page through the inquiry form for contextual review by the family-law team. For WhatsApp intake, contact +971 50 627 5196.

How to use the bilingual glossary

The glossary is a single list on this page, grouped by subject: legal routes, marriage, divorce, children, maintenance, procedure, evidence, enforcement, cross-border matters and client engagement. There is no search box and no filter to set. Each entry gives the English term, the Arabic label, a plain-language meaning, the legal route it belongs to and a link to the related guide, so your browser’s own find-on-page function will take you straight to a term in either language.

Do not translate a claim by replacing one word. The same English term may describe different rights under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024, the federal civil-personal-status regime or the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court route. Where a court document uses a defined expression, that document’s wording takes priority.

Court, jurisdiction and legal-route terms

1. Applicable law — القانون الواجب التطبيق: The body of substantive law applied to an issue. It may differ from the procedural law of the court hearing the case.

2. Jurisdiction — الاختصاص القضائي: The legal authority of a court to hear the parties, subject matter and requested relief.

3. Competent court — المحكمة المختصة: The particular court or circuit legally authorised to receive and decide the matter.

4. Federal court — محكمة اتحادية: A court within the UAE federal judicial system. Its services and fee rules must not be assumed to govern a local Dubai or Abu Dhabi filing.

5. Local judicial authority — جهة قضائية محلية: An emirate-level judicial body, such as Dubai Courts or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, operating under its applicable local framework.

6. Personal Status Court — محكمة الأحوال الشخصية: The court or circuit handling marriage, divorce, maintenance, parentage, custody and related personal-status matters within its competence.

7. Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court — محكمة الأسرة المدنية في أبوظبي: The ADJD court providing designated civil-family services. Its eligibility and rules are not automatically applicable throughout the UAE.

8. Muslim personal status — الأحوال الشخصية للمسلمين: The family-law route governed, where applicable, by the current UAE Personal Status Law and related implementing materials.

9. Civil personal status — الأحوال الشخصية المدنية: A statutory civil route for qualifying non-Muslims. Federal and Abu Dhabi civil-family routes must be identified separately.

10. Substantive law — القانون الموضوعي: Rules defining legal rights and obligations, as distinct from the procedure used to bring and prove a claim.

11. Procedural law — القانون الإجرائي: Rules governing filing, notification, evidence, hearings, judgments, appeals and enforcement before the competent authority.

12. Claimant — المدعي: The party who starts a lawsuit or asserts a claim.

13. Defendant — المدعى عليه: The party against whom a lawsuit or claim is brought.

14. Applicant — مقدم الطلب: A person asking a court or authority for an order or service, sometimes outside an ordinary lawsuit format.

15. Respondent — المطلوب ضده: The person required to answer an application, petition or appeal; the exact title depends on the proceeding.

16. Nationality — الجنسية: Formal citizenship. It can be relevant to route or foreign-law analysis but does not alone decide every jurisdiction question.

17. Residence — الإقامة: Where a person lives. The required legal connection depends on the law, court and service being used.

18. Domicile — الموطن: A legal connecting concept that is not always identical to current physical residence.

19. Habitual residence — الإقامة المعتادة: A fact-sensitive international connecting concept. It should not be treated as a simple synonym for visa residence or domicile.

20. Address for service — عنوان التبليغ: The address or verified contact information used for valid judicial notification.

21. Legal capacity — الأهلية القانونية: A person’s legal ability to act, contract or conduct proceedings, subject to applicable rules.

22. Minor — قاصر: A person below the legally relevant age for the issue. Age consequences can differ between regimes and decisions.

23. Public policy — النظام العام: Fundamental UAE legal principles that may affect applicable law, settlements or recognition of a foreign judgment.

24. Conflict of laws — تنازع القوانين: Rules used to analyse jurisdiction, governing law and recognition where more than one country is connected to the family.

25. Foreign law — قانون أجنبي: The law of another country. When relied upon in UAE proceedings, its content and application may need to be properly pleaded and proved.

26. Treaty — معاهدة: A binding international agreement for states that are parties. Participation, reservations, scope and entry into force must be checked officially.

Marriage and marital-agreement terms

27. Marriage contract — عقد الزواج: The official instrument recording the marriage and its terms under the applicable route.

28. Islamic marriage — الزواج الشرعي: A marriage concluded under the relevant Sharia-based personal-status requirements and officially documented as required.

29. Civil marriage — الزواج المدني: A marriage formed under an applicable civil-marriage law or service. Federal and Abu Dhabi routes have distinct requirements.

30. Civil marriage certificate — شهادة الزواج المدني: The official record of a civil marriage; foreign use may require further certification or attestation.

31. Spouses — الزوجان: The two parties to a legally recognised marriage.

32. Consent — الرضا: Free agreement to the marriage or legal act. The required form and evidence depend on the act and governing law.

33. Marriage guardian — ولي الزواج: The person whose role in concluding a marriage is recognised under the applicable Muslim personal-status rules.

34. Dowry or mahr — المهر: The marriage entitlement agreed for the wife under the Muslim marriage contract, including any prompt and deferred components.

35. Prompt dowry — المهر المعجل: The portion of the dowry agreed as payable promptly or at the time specified in the marriage record.

36. Deferred dowry — المهر المؤجل: The portion agreed for later payment, often linked to a stated event or date in the contract.

37. Marriage condition — شرط في عقد الزواج: An agreed term recorded in the marriage contract; validity and consequence require review under the applicable law.

38. Engagement — الخطبة: A promise or stage preceding marriage. It is not itself the marriage contract.

39. Engagement gift — هدية الخطبة: A gift exchanged during engagement. Treatment on cancellation depends on the item, circumstances and applicable law.

40. Marital home — مسكن الزوجية: The home occupied or provided for married life; housing rights can also arise in maintenance and custody disputes.

41. Cohabitation — المعاشرة الزوجية: Living together as spouses. Its legal relevance varies by claim and route.

42. Consummation — الدخول: Completion of marital relations in the legal sense relevant to specified personal-status consequences.

43. Valid seclusion — الخلوة الصحيحة: A recognised private meeting between spouses that can have defined consequences under Muslim personal-status rules.

44. Marital agreement — اتفاقية زوجية: A written arrangement between spouses about specified personal or financial matters, subject to validity and enforcement review.

45. Prenuptial agreement — اتفاقية ما قبل الزواج: An agreement made before marriage. Effect depends on governing law, wording, formalities and the relief later requested.

46. Postnuptial agreement — اتفاقية ما بعد الزواج: An agreement made after marriage, requiring the same careful review of authority, fairness, form and enforceability.

47. Separate property — ملكية منفصلة: Property legally owned by one spouse. Ownership evidence and the applicable civil route determine its treatment.

48. Joint ownership — ملكية مشتركة: Property held in both names or under another shared legal interest; contribution and title documents may matter.

49. Marital property — الأموال الزوجية: A comparative-law label for assets connected to marriage. It does not establish a universal UAE community-property rule.

50. Financial disclosure — الإفصاح المالي: The organised production of relevant income, asset, liability and expense information for a financial claim or settlement.

Divorce, separation and settlement terms

51. Divorce — الطلاق: Legal termination of a marriage. The ground, mechanism and consequences depend on the governing family-law route.

52. Talaq — طلاق: A Muslim divorce mechanism governed by the Personal Status Law; its form and legal classification must be assessed from the actual record.

53. Revocable divorce — الطلاق الرجعي: A talaq classification allowing revocation during the legally defined waiting period when statutory conditions are met.

54. Irrevocable divorce — الطلاق البائن: A divorce classification that does not permit simple revocation; remarriage consequences depend on its degree and applicable rules.

55. Minor irrevocable divorce — البينونة الصغرى: An irrevocable classification after which return generally requires a new marriage contract and satisfaction of legal requirements.

56. Major irrevocable divorce — البينونة الكبرى: A distinct statutory classification with stricter consequences; individual legal review is essential.

57. Khula — الخلع: A form of marital separation sought on agreed or judicially determined terms involving the wife’s consideration or waiver as permitted by law.

58. Dissolution of marriage — فسخ عقد الزواج: Judicial termination based on a legally recognised basis, distinct from every form of talaq or civil no-fault divorce.

59. Judicial separation — التفريق القضائي: A court-ordered termination or separation under a statutory ground and evidential route.

60. Separation for harm — التفريق للضرر: A claim relying on legally relevant harm and proof under the applicable Muslim personal-status provisions.

61. No-fault divorce — الطلاق دون إثبات الخطأ: A civil route allowing divorce without proving marital fault, where the applicant and court satisfy the applicable eligibility rules.

62. Mutual-consent divorce — الطلاق بالتراضي: Divorce pursued on agreed terms. Status, finances and children should be addressed precisely rather than assumed resolved.

63. Separation date — تاريخ الانفصال: The factual date spouses stopped marital life; its legal importance depends on the particular claim or foreign-law issue.

64. Divorce application — طلب الطلاق: The formal request initiating the applicable divorce route.

65. Divorce judgment — حكم الطلاق: The court decision terminating or recording the termination of the marriage, subject to its exact wording and status.

66. Divorce certificate — وثيقة الطلاق: An official record of divorce. It is not always the same document as the full reasoned judgment.

67. Proof of finality — إثبات نهائية الحكم: Official evidence that the judgment has reached the required final or enforceable status for the intended use.

68. Iddah — العدة: The waiting period following specified forms of divorce or death under Muslim personal-status law, with consequences defined by law.

69. Iddah maintenance — نفقة العدة: Maintenance connected to the legally applicable waiting period; entitlement cannot be assumed without route-specific review.

70. Reconciliation — الصلح أو المصالحة: An attempt to resolve the dispute or restore the relationship, sometimes within family-guidance or court procedures.

71. Revocation of divorce — الرجعة: A legally recognised return during a revocable-divorce period, subject to form, timing and proof requirements.

72. Family guidance — التوجيه الأسري: A court-connected process intended to explore amicable resolution and prepare eligible disputes under current rules.

73. Family counsellor — الموجه الأسري: The authorised professional conducting family-guidance work within the competent judicial framework.

74. Amicable settlement — تسوية ودية: A negotiated resolution. Its enforceability depends on content, legal validity and how it is recorded or approved.

75. Settlement agreement — اتفاقية تسوية: The written terms resolving some or all issues; obligations, dates, child arrangements and enforcement wording should be specific.

76. Executive deed — سند تنفيذي: A document legally capable of direct execution, subject to the law and its formal validity.

77. Breach of settlement — إخلال باتفاقية التسوية: Failure to perform an agreed obligation, requiring review of the agreement and available enforcement or claim.

78. Marital breakdown — انهيار العلاقة الزوجية: A descriptive expression for the end of the relationship; it is not automatically a statutory ground in every route.

79. Desertion — الهجر: Cessation of marital cohabitation or support in circumstances potentially relevant to a particular statutory claim.

80. Non-maintenance — عدم الإنفاق: Alleged failure to provide legally required support, assessed against entitlement, means, proof and the governing route.

81. Absence — الغيبة: A spouse’s absence that may have defined consequences where statutory duration and conditions are proved.

82. Foreign divorce — طلاق أجنبي: A divorce granted or recorded abroad, which may require UAE recognition, registration or evidential steps.

Children, custody and guardianship terms

83. Custody or hadana — الحضانة: Day-to-day care of a child under the applicable Muslim personal-status framework; it is distinct from every guardianship power.

84. Custodian — الحاضن أو الحاضنة: The person entrusted with day-to-day custody under an agreement or court decision.

85. Guardianship or wilayah — الولاية: Legal authority over specified personal or financial decisions for a child under the applicable law.

86. Guardian — الولي: The person holding legally recognised guardianship authority for the issue in question.

87. Guardianship of the person — الولاية على النفس: Authority concerning specified personal decisions for the child, as defined by the applicable law.

88. Guardianship of property — الولاية على المال: Authority and duties concerning a minor’s property and financial affairs.

89. Joint custody — الحضانة المشتركة: A civil-family arrangement sharing physical and legal custody, used within qualifying civil routes and not assumed for every case.

90. Physical custody — الحضانة الفعلية: A civil-route concept concerning where and with whom the child spends time.

91. Legal custody — الحضانة القانونية: A civil-route concept concerning participation in important decisions for the child.

92. Child’s residence — محل إقامة الطفل: The child’s principal living arrangement, which may be agreed or ordered and can affect travel or relocation analysis.

93. Contact or visitation — الرؤية أو الزيارة: Time or communication between a child and a parent or other authorised person under the applicable arrangement.

94. Overnight contact — مبيت الطفل: Contact involving an overnight stay, assessed separately from short visits where disputed.

95. Contact centre — مركز الرؤية: An authorised location used for implementing or supporting child-contact arrangements in appropriate cases.

96. Best interests of the child — المصلحة الفضلى للطفل: A central child-focused standard whose statutory expression and factors depend on the governing regime.

97. Child welfare — مصلحة الطفل ورعايته: The child’s safety, stability, health, education and development considered in the relevant legal context.

98. Parental responsibility — المسؤولية الأبوية: A broad civil-law expression for parental duties and decision-making; its precise UAE effect depends on the route.

99. Education decision — قرار التعليم: A choice about school or educational needs, potentially falling within guardianship or joint legal custody.

100. Medical decision — قرار العلاج: Authority to consent to or manage healthcare, determined by the applicable guardianship or custody arrangement.

101. Passport custody — حفظ جواز السفر: Physical possession and legal control of a child’s passport, which should not be confused with permission to travel.

102. Travel consent — موافقة السفر: Required agreement for a child’s proposed journey where applicable under law, an order or the travel documentation process.

103. Travel restriction — منع السفر: A legal restriction preventing departure, imposed and removed only through the competent process.

104. Relocation — انتقال محل إقامة الطفل: A proposed change to the child’s principal home, assessed by route, evidence, authority and welfare considerations.

105. International relocation — انتقال الطفل إلى دولة أخرى: Relocation across borders, adding immigration, recognition, contact and enforcement planning.

106. Child abduction — اختطاف طفل: Wrongful removal or retention alleged under applicable domestic or international law; urgent route-specific advice is required.

107. Return application — طلب إعادة الطفل: A request for a child to be returned to a place or person, the legal basis for which must be identified precisely.

108. Parentage — النسب: The legal relationship between a child and parent, governed by statutory proof and challenge rules.

109. Paternity — الأبوة: Legal fatherhood, which may involve presumptions, acknowledgment, evidence and court determination.

110. Proof of lineage — ثبوت النسب: The legal process and evidence by which parentage is established under the applicable law.

111. Birth certificate — شهادة الميلاد: The official civil record of birth and registered parent details; correction or foreign use follows separate procedures.

112. Acknowledgment of parentage — الإقرار بالنسب: A formal acknowledgment whose validity and effect are determined by personal-status law.

113. DNA test — فحص البصمة الوراثية: Scientific testing that may be considered only within the applicable legal and procedural rules.

114. Fosterage — الرضاع: A recognised milk-kinship concept that can affect marriage eligibility and related Muslim personal-status questions.

115. Child representative — ممثل الطفل: A person authorised to represent a child’s interests or legal position in a defined process.

116. Hearing the child — سماع الطفل: A process for receiving a child’s views where permitted and appropriate; it is not the same as making the child decide.

117. Custody dispute — نزاع حضانة: Proceedings about day-to-day care, residence or related child arrangements under the governing route.

118. Visitation order — حكم أو أمر بالرؤية: A court direction defining contact, timing, location or implementation conditions.

Maintenance and family-finance terms

119. Maintenance or nafaqa — النفقة: Legally recognised financial support. The recipient, components, duration and test depend on the applicable route.

120. Spousal maintenance — نفقة الزوجية: Support claimed by one spouse from the other during marriage or proceedings where the law permits.

121. Child maintenance — نفقة الطفل: Financial provision for a child’s legally recognised needs, assessed under the applicable law and evidence.

122. Parental maintenance — نفقة الوالدين: Support owed to a qualifying parent in circumstances defined by law.

123. Housing allowance — بدل السكن: A financial component for suitable accommodation where legally due or ordered.

124. Custodian housing — مسكن الحاضنة: Housing connected to the needs of the child and custodian, subject to the statutory route and facts.

125. School fees — الرسوم الدراسية: Education expenditure potentially considered within child support, requiring proof and route-specific assessment.

126. Medical expenses — المصروفات الطبية: Health-related costs supported by records, insurance information and evidence of necessity.

127. Domestic-help expense — تكلفة المساعدة المنزلية: A claimed household or childcare expense whose relevance and reasonableness require evidence.

128. Transport expense — مصروفات النقل: A claimed cost for travel, school or family needs, assessed with its actual purpose and supporting records.

129. Temporary maintenance — نفقة مؤقتة: Interim financial support requested before final resolution, subject to the competent court’s powers and evidence.

130. Maintenance arrears — متجمد النفقة: Amounts allegedly unpaid under an enforceable obligation, calculated from due dates and credited payments.

131. Maintenance order — حكم أو أمر بالنفقة: A court direction setting support obligations. The operative wording controls amount, commencement and payment.

132. Variation of maintenance — تعديل النفقة: A request to change an existing obligation based on legally relevant circumstances and proof.

133. Increase of maintenance — زيادة النفقة: A variation request seeking a higher amount, not an automatic consequence of a cost increase.

134. Reduction of maintenance — تخفيض النفقة: A variation request seeking a lower amount, requiring a lawful basis and evidence.

135. Income — الدخل: Earnings or receipts relevant to financial capacity, including variable or business-related amounts where properly evidenced.

136. Financial means — القدرة المالية: The resources and obligations considered when assessing ability to pay.

137. Needs — الاحتياجات: Reasonable and legally relevant requirements supported by an organised expense record.

138. Direct payment — سداد مباشر: Payment made to a school, landlord, provider or beneficiary rather than through another party; proof and crediting matter.

139. Financial order — أمر مالي: A civil-family order dealing with financial consequences, used within the applicable civil route.

140. Arrears ledger — كشف متجمد النفقة: A dated schedule of sums due, paid, credited and outstanding under an order or enforceable agreement.

Court procedure, evidence and enforcement terms

141. Statement of claim — صحيفة الدعوى: The document initiating a lawsuit and setting out parties, facts, legal basis and requested relief.

142. Defence memorandum — مذكرة دفاع: The defendant’s structured written response to the claim and evidence.

143. Petition — عريضة: A written request submitted through a procedure prescribed for the particular remedy.

144. Urgent application — طلب مستعجل: A request for time-sensitive relief where the court has jurisdiction and urgency is properly evidenced.

145. Interim order — أمر مؤقت: A temporary direction pending final determination, without necessarily deciding the ultimate merits.

146. Order on petition — أمر على عريضة: An order sought through the legally designated petition procedure, subject to its specific conditions and review route.

147. Hearing — جلسة: A scheduled court session for directions, submissions, evidence or decision.

148. Case management — إدارة الدعوى: Procedural preparation of the case, including documents, issues and readiness before judicial determination.

149. Judicial notification — إعلان قضائي: Formal notice of a claim, application, hearing or judgment through an authorised method.

150. Service abroad — الإعلان في الخارج: Judicial notification outside the UAE, potentially involving treaty, diplomatic, translation or foreign procedural requirements.

151. Court interpreter — مترجم شفوي أمام المحكمة: An authorised person providing oral interpretation during proceedings where required.

152. Certified legal translation — ترجمة قانونية معتمدة: A translation completed by an appropriately authorised legal translator for official use.

153. Original document — أصل المستند: The original official or private record, which may be required for inspection or authentication.

154. Certified copy — صورة مصدقة: A copy formally certified as corresponding to the original for the stated purpose.

155. Notarisation — التوثيق: Formal authentication or recording by an authorised notary; it is not the same as foreign-document attestation.

156. Attestation — التصديق: Official authentication within the required chain for use before another authority or country.

157. what legalisation and attestation mean — استكمال سلسلة التصديقات: The sequence of official certifications required for a foreign public document in the destination system.

158. Power of attorney — وكالة: Authority granted to another person to perform stated acts on the principal’s behalf.

159. Special power of attorney — وكالة خاصة: A power granting express authority for specific acts, which may be required for divorce, settlement or other designated steps.

160. Evidence — دليل أو إثبات: Material offered to prove a relevant fact, subject to legality, authenticity, relevance and procedural rules.

161. Electronic evidence — دليل إلكتروني: Digital material such as messages or records, assessed under applicable evidence, privacy and cybercrime rules.

162. Witness — شاهد: A person giving evidence about facts within their knowledge through the authorised procedure.

163. Court expert — خبير قضائي: A specialist appointed or accepted within the court process to address a defined technical issue.

164. Expert report — تقرير الخبير: The expert’s written findings on the assigned task; parties may have procedural rights to comment or object.

165. Oath — يمين: A formal evidential mechanism whose type and consequence are governed by the applicable evidence rules.

166. Decisive oath — اليمين الحاسمة: A specific oath directed under the legal conditions capable of resolving a disputed point with significant consequence.

167. Admission — إقرار: A party’s acknowledgment of a fact or right, assessed for validity, scope and evidential effect.

168. Burden of proof — عبء الإثبات: The responsibility to prove a disputed proposition under the applicable law.

169. Judgment — حكم: The court’s decision and reasons. The operative wording, notification and challenge status must be read together.

170. Appeal — استئناف: A challenge before the competent appellate court within the applicable grounds and deadline.

171. Cassation — نقض: A higher-level challenge generally focused on legally permitted grounds, not a routine rehearing of every fact.

172. Appeal deadline — ميعاد الطعن: The legally prescribed time for a challenge, calculated from the relevant decision and notification circumstances.

173. Final judgment — حكم نهائي أو بات: A judgment at the legally relevant stage of finality; the exact Arabic classification in the court record controls.

174. Res judicata — حجية الأمر المقضي: The binding effect of a final adjudication on matters legally covered by it.

175. Enforcement or execution — التنفيذ: The court-supervised process for implementing an enforceable judgment, order or settlement.

176. Execution judge — قاضي التنفيذ: The judge exercising statutory authority over enforcement measures and disputes.

177. Enforcement file — ملف التنفيذ: The registered file through which an enforceable obligation is implemented.

178. Attachment — الحجز: A court-authorised enforcement or protective measure affecting property or funds.

179. Travel ban — منع السفر: A legal restriction ordered or recorded through competent authority; family and enforcement contexts must be distinguished.

180. Court fee — رسم قضائي: An official charge for a court service or case step, separate from lawyer, expert, translation and attestation costs.

Cross-border, protection and client-engagement terms

181. Foreign judgment — حكم أجنبي: A decision issued by a non-UAE court that may require recognition and enforcement analysis in the UAE.

182. Recognition — الاعتراف بالحكم: Acceptance of the legal status or effect of a foreign decision under applicable UAE rules.

183. Enforcement order — أمر بالتنفيذ: Judicial authority permitting an enforceable instrument or qualifying foreign judgment to proceed through execution.

184. Reciprocity — المعاملة بالمثل: A condition relevant in some foreign-judgment analyses, subject to statute and any applicable treaty.

185. Proof of foreign law — إثبات القانون الأجنبي: Acceptable evidence of the foreign rule relied upon, often requiring official text and certified Arabic translation.

186. Parallel proceedings — دعاوى متوازية: Related cases active in more than one country or court, requiring coordinated jurisdiction and strategy review.

187. Choice of law — اختيار القانون: A contractual or legal selection of governing law, whose validity and scope are not automatic in family matters.

188. Public document — محرر رسمي: A record issued or authenticated by a public authority, potentially requiring certification for foreign use.

189. Consular attestation — تصديق قنصلي: Authentication performed by a consular mission within the applicable document-use chain.

190. MOFA attestation — تصديق وزارة الخارجية: Authentication through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs service where required for the document and intended use.

191. Domestic violence — العنف الأسري: Conduct within the statutory family or domestic context that may engage protection, police, prosecution and family-court routes.

192. Protection order — أمر حماية: A competent-authority order imposing specified protective conditions under the applicable legal framework.

193. Emergency order — أمر عاجل: Time-sensitive protective or family relief issued only when the legal and evidential requirements are met.

194. Police report — بلاغ شرطة: The official record of a matter reported to police; its existence does not itself determine a family-court claim.

195. Medical report — تقرير طبي: A clinical record relevant to health or injury, requiring lawful use and appropriate evidential context.

196. Confidentiality — السرية: Duties and protections governing sensitive information, subject to law, professional obligations and necessary disclosure.

197. Advocate — محامٍ: A person licensed to perform the legal-profession activities permitted by the applicable UAE federal or local framework.

198. Legal consultant — مستشار قانوني: A person licensed for legal-consultation work within the applicable scope; the title does not automatically confer court advocacy rights.

199. Retainer agreement — اتفاقية أتعاب وتكليف: The written engagement defining the client, services, professional fees, payment and other terms.

200. Scope of engagement — نطاق التكليف: The specific work accepted, such as advice, drafting, first instance, appeal or enforcement.

201. Conflict check — فحص تعارض المصالح: The review required before a lawyer or firm can accept confidential instructions and act.

202. Legal fees — الأتعاب القانونية: Professional remuneration agreed for legal work, separate from court and third-party costs.

203. Disbursements — المصروفات الخارجية: Amounts paid or payable to third parties, such as translators, experts, couriers or authorities.

204. Client identification — التحقق من هوية العميل: Verification of the person instructing the firm and, where relevant, authority and beneficial interest.

205. Authorised representative — ممثل مفوض: A person acting within valid authority from a party, company, guardian or estate.

206. Without prejudice — دون إخلال بالحقوق: A settlement label used in some communications; its legal effect must be assessed in the actual UAE context.

207. Estate — تركة: The assets, rights and liabilities left by a deceased person for administration and succession.

208. Heir — وارث: A person legally entitled to inherit under the applicable succession regime.

209. Will — وصية: A formal instrument expressing testamentary wishes within the scope and formalities of the applicable succession system.

210. Estate administration — إدارة التركة: The process of identifying the estate, addressing liabilities and transferring assets under the competent authority’s procedure.

Use glossary terms without changing the legal route

An English label should not be carried from one regime into another without checking the source. “Joint custody” is expressly used in civil personal-status settings, while hadana and wilayah describe different functions within Muslim personal-status law. “No-fault divorce” identifies a civil route; it should not be used as a substitute label for talaq, khula or judicial dissolution.

When reading a bilingual document, compare the complete Arabic and English texts, case number, court, decision date and operative orders. Do not rely on a machine-translated screenshot. Use the Which Law Applies? tool, the divorce process navigator and the document checklists to place the term within the correct route.

Separate entries go into more detail on no-fault divorce, reconciliation agreements, parenting plans, child relocation, foreign judgment recognition, civil wills, DIFC wills and succession certificates.

Ask Mr AlBalooshi about a term in your document

Use the inquiry form to provide the term, the complete sentence, the document type, issuing court and current deadline. Upload only the relevant complete page, with personal information limited where appropriate. Sending a word or document does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Conflict checks and formal engagement are required. WhatsApp +971 50 627 5196.

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