International Divorce and Family Law: the UAE & England

If a marriage ends, connections with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can affect the paperwork, the options for a financial settlement, and the arrangements that will work for the children. Laurus advises on the law of England and Wales and can help you understand whether an English divorce or other English family law application is available in your circumstances.

This page may be relevant if you are a:

• British expatriate living in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate who is considering separation or a move home
• UAE national now living in England or Wales with a spouse or children
• Couple who married in the UAE and subsequently settled in England
• Parent whose child lives in one country while the other parent lives in the other
• Family with a home, business, bank account or employment benefits in the UAE and financial ties to England
• Someone seeking advice in England after a divorce or family order made in the UAE

Contact us as soon as possible if separation is likely or an overseas process has already started, and we can identify the decisions that need English advice and, where necessary, work alongside a suitably qualified lawyer in the UAE.

Divorce involving England and the UAE

A marriage celebrated in the UAE may be capable of being dissolved in England and Wales. Laurus can examine where each spouse lives now, where they lived during their relationship, their habitual residence and domicile, and whether proceedings are already under way. We can advise on English procedure and help you consider the timing and practical consequences of an application.

If a UAE divorce has already taken place, we can assess its recognition in England and Wales and whether any English financial claim might be available.

Financial settlements with UAE property and income

An English financial settlement may need to account for resources in several emirates as well as in England. These might include an Abu Dhabi home, a property in Ajman, company shares, UAE bank accounts, an English pension, or income paid under an expatriate employment contract.

If English financial proceedings are available, both spouses will generally need to disclose relevant assets and income wherever they are held. We can advise on the English disclosure process and help identify when an overseas valuation, company evidence, currency conversion, or tax advice is needed. An English order concerning a UAE asset cannot simply be assumed to operate in the Emirates, and local advice is likely to be needed about ownership, implementation, and enforcement before a settlement is finalised.

Nuptial agreements before and after marriage

A couple expecting to live in both countries may wish to make a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. This can be particularly relevant where one person owns a business in the UAE, the other has an English pension, or both want clarity about property acquired before marriage. If the agreement must also operate in the UAE, separate local advice should form part of the preparation and drafting; choosing a governing law in a document alone cannot guarantee its treatment in every court.

Children between England and the UAE

Families may need to settle ordinary but important questions regarding where a child will live during the school year, how time with a parent abroad will work, who will pay for travel, and when a child must return. A parent considering a permanent move from England to the UAE, or from the UAE to England, needs advice before making arrangements that affect the child’s home and schooling. Consent, parental responsibility, existing orders, and the child’s habitual residence all need to be considered.

If you believe a child may be taken abroad without consent, or kept after an agreed visit, seek advice promptly, where protective applications in England may be possible. The UAE is not a party to the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, so parents should not assume the same return process applies as it would between Convention countries. The available steps depend on where the child is and the orders already in place.

Features of family law across the Emirates

The UAE is a federation, and the precise local route matters. Federal personal status legislation applies in many cases, while Abu Dhabi also has a distinct civil family court framework. The federal civil personal status law provides a route for many non-Muslim families, which was updated in 2024. The applicable framework can depend on the parties’ circumstances and the nature and location of the proceedings. A family living in Abu Dhabi should not assume that a description of a Dubai procedure, or of English divorce, answers its own case.

The differences are relevant even when an English application is the main concern. A UAE marriage or divorce certificate may need examination to establish what actually occurred and whether it is recognised in England and Wales. A financial order obtained in one country may leave practical steps concerning a home, business interest, or account in the other. Similarly, arrangements about a child need to be considered in the country where they will be carried out. Laurus advises on the English consequences; a lawyer qualified in the UAE should advise on the applicable emirate law and procedure.

Coordinating advice in England and the UAE

Laurus can help you establish the English legal position, identify missing documents and plan the next step. Depending on your case, useful records may include your marriage certificate, residence history, court papers, children’s travel arrangements, employment contract, and a list of assets in each country. We can explain which questions call for English family law advice and where local legal, tax, or valuation input is required.

Contact Laurus for international family law advice

If your divorce, financial arrangements, children’s plans, relocation or prenuptial agreement involves England and the UAE, contact Laurus to discuss what English law may offer. Early advice is particularly valuable before overseas proceedings begin, a child travels, or an agreement about foreign assets is signed. We can help you make informed decisions about the English side and coordinate the advice needed elsewhere.