Dubai Courts Dismiss Case of Widow Claiming Late Husband’s Inheritance

1. Dubai Courts Dismiss Case of Widow Claiming Late Husband’s Inheritance The husband had left behind more than 29 apartments, villas, land plots and luxury cars. A widow has failed at a Dubai court to prove the authenticity of her late husband’s will, in which she was left the majority of his Dh734 million ($200m) estate. The Lebanese woman, 75, asked Dubai Court of Personal Status to acknowledge the document, which she said was written in 2013. She said the dead man, from Canada, who was a partner in a UAE-based construction company, had asked for Canadian inheritance law to be implemented during the will’s execution. She sought to exclude her husband’s siblings from the bulk of the inheritance, from which she was due to receive 29 apartments, including the couple’s home in Dubai Marina, three villas, 10 land plots in different areas of Dubai and four luxury cars. Judges heard the woman filed the case more than a year after the man’s death in Dubai in October 2020. They were told she did so only after an inheritance inventory request was submitted to UAE courts by the childless man’s two sisters and brother, his closest relatives. “The request for inventory was submitted with her knowledge and she filed for the case more than a year after her husband’s death,” lawyer Awatif

2. Mohammed from Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy told the court. The widow failed to prove the authenticity of the will in court and no evidence was found to prove the will had been registered in the UAE or Canada. “A copy of the will, which the wife initially rejected to submit to court, was referred to the criminal laboratory in Dubai which compared the signature on it with his signature on the passport,” said the lawyer. He presented evidence by experts who said the signature on the two documents was not identical. Following several court hearings, judges ordered that the woman’s case be dismissed. The ruling can be appealed within 30 days. In similar verdicts where inheritance claims have been dismissed, the disputed inheritance has been divided according to UAE laws. About US Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy is a full-service law firm licensed to provide legal advice and advocacy services in all courts of the UAE. Its legal team consists of diverse, experienced legal practitioners who show a high degree of professionalism and dedication. The team’s strong grasp of local laws, including family law, criminal and civil law, commercial and corporate law, maritime, banking, and arbitration law, gives it an edge in providing practical legal advice and committed legal representation. Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy has established a dedicated portal that offers legal information in the form of articles and case studies that are accessible to all individuals. The firm is

3. specialised in divorce and family law, and is often asked to provide expert written advice on Sharia and UAE law matters in international court proceedings. Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy 29th Floor, 2901 H Hotel Office Tower P.O. Box 40073 Sheikh Zayed Road,Dubai United Arab Emirates + 971 4 355 8000 + 971 4 358 9494 info@alrowaad.ae www.alrowaad.ae