UAE Will (Succession)
Without a registered Will, UAE accounts, property and company shares are distributed under default Sharia rules — and courts can freeze them for months. A Will drafted for direct enforcement fixes your heirs, shares, guardianship and executor, and takes effect immediately on registration.
Led by Olga Zueva, Company, Banking & VisasIf you hold assets in the UAE and have no registered Will, succession defaults to Sharia distribution: fixed shares set by law, regardless of your intent. The practical consequences are immediate. A bank account can be frozen, stalling payments to contractors and family. Completed property cannot be sold or transferred until the court issues orders. An off-plan unit stalls because the developer needs court instructions to continue. Under Article 241 of the UAE Personal Status Law, assets left without a Will and verified heirs may even be directed to Waqf. For an entrepreneur or executive with accounts, real estate and a company in the UAE, that means a family facing months of court proceedings — and assets they cannot touch — at the worst possible time.
A UAE Will is a single official document that records the asset owner's instructions for their UAE accounts, real estate and business assets. Once registered — with the Dubai Courts, or via the DIFC Wills Service Centre or ADJD under your national law depending on your profile — it becomes a direct instruction the court acts on. The court does not investigate intent; it proceeds straight to execution. The executor you appoint can immediately liaise with banks and developers without waiting on additional court steps. Completed property transfers efficiently; for off-plan, the executor continues payments and receives the unit on completion. The wording is built specifically for direct enforcement, so there are no ambiguities to slow the process. At WTP it is handled as part of a wider asset-protection picture — accounts, company, property and, where relevant, foundation and custody — rather than an isolated form.
A private review — online or in person — of your UAE accounts, completed and off-plan property and business assets, plus your executor intent. We determine the right Will format (Dubai Courts / DIFC / ADJD) for your profile.
Heirs, shares, guardianship for minors and executor are defined and walked through scenario by scenario, so the distribution matches your actual intent and family situation.
The Will text is prepared in the required court format, drafted for direct enforcement with no ambiguities, reviewed with you, and your registration is booked.
Signing and registration — online via Zoom (available to residents and non-residents) or in a single in-person visit. The Will takes effect immediately.
As your family or asset composition changes, we update the Will so the executor and structure stay current.
- → Private consultation and full UAE asset review (accounts, completed and off-plan property, company shares)
- → Will format selection — Dubai Courts / DIFC Wills Service Centre / ADJD
- → Definition of heirs and shares
- → Guardianship provisions for minor children
- → Executor structure and recommendations
- → Real estate and off-plan structuring within the Will
- → Will drafting in the required court format and registration support
- → Registered original document, safekeeping guidance and update recommendations
- — Inheritance tax planning for assets outside the UAE
- — International / cross-border succession disputes
- — Management of assets after the succession event occurs
Drafting is typically ready in 1-2 business days, with the full process commonly completed within about 5-7 days. Registration takes place in a single session — online via Zoom or in one in-person visit — and the Will takes effect immediately.
- · Full disclosure of your UAE asset composition (accounts, property, company shares)
- · Correct identification of intended heirs
- · Timely review and sign-off of the Will text
Diagnostic and strategic direction. Succession exposure is flagged during advisory review (legal and asset-protection lens), but the Will itself is not drafted or registered at this level.
Legal and banking entry to the UAE (residency, personal account, tax-residency analysis). The Will is not part of this tier.
Business, banking, real estate and family setup. Once property and company shares exist, the need for a Will becomes concrete — but drafting and registration sit in the Control tier.
Included. The UAE Will is delivered here alongside foundation / asset protection, custody structuring and portfolio oversight — the long-term governance and protection layer for HNWI and family-office clients.
UAE Will (Succession) is included in the L3 engagement level. Most clients reach it as part of a sequenced engagement, not as a one-off.
A stalled mortgage pre-approval, rebuilt and closed in budget
Konstantin HorodkoProperty exit, redeployment, Golden Visa and succession — one coordinated sequence
Konstantin HorodkoCompany formation, bank account opening, residency, visas, compliance
100+ applications: runs company, bank account, visa and compliance as one process — the bank account is the real test, not the company.
Request a pre-screen with Olga ZuevaWhat happens to my UAE assets if I die without a registered Will?
By default they are distributed under Sharia rules — fixed shares set by law, regardless of your wishes. In practice, accounts can be frozen, completed property cannot be sold or transferred until the court issues orders, and off-plan units stall pending court instructions. Under Article 241 of the UAE Personal Status Law, assets without a Will and verified heirs may even be directed to Waqf. A registered Will replaces that with direct execution of your intent.
Do I have to be a UAE resident, or be physically in the country, to register a Will?
No. The Will covers UAE assets for both residents and non-residents. Registration can be completed online via Zoom for residents and non-residents alike, or in a single in-person visit if you prefer. We confirm the right route for your profile during the consultation.
What is the difference between a Dubai Courts Will and a DIFC / ADJD Will?
They are different registration routes. A Will registered with the Dubai Courts becomes a direct instruction the court acts on. The DIFC Wills Service Centre and ADJD let you register under your national law. The right route depends on your asset mix, residency and family situation — we determine it during the asset analysis rather than applying one format to everyone.
How does the Will handle my off-plan property that isn't completed yet?
The Will is drafted to be off-plan aware. For completed property it enables efficient ownership transfer; for off-plan, the appointed executor continues the payments and receives the unit on completion. Accounts, completed property and off-plan units are integrated into a single execution structure.
Can I appoint a guardian for my children and choose my own executor?
Yes. Guardianship for minor children is fixed in the Will, and you appoint your own executor. The executor can liaise with banks and developers immediately, without waiting on additional court steps. As your family or assets change, we update the Will so both stay current.
The 9% corporate tax trap relocating founders miss
Olga Zueva· 5 min readThe UK non-dom regime is gone: what it means for long-term UK residents
Ivan Olenichev· 6 min readWhere is your company actually managed? What tax authorities really check
Ilia Ostashov· 6 min readNot sure where you stand?
Request a 15-minute pre-screen with a named expert. You'll get a realistic Banking Roadmap — no obligation.
No pitch. If we can't take your case, we'll tell you.
Olga Zueva · Company, Banking & Visas