Will registration fees in Abu Dhabi reduced

Abu Dhabi: The ‘wills’ registration office in the capital where many non-Muslim residents register their wills, has reduced the registration charges from Dh5,500 to Dh950 from December.

Though, the service charge was only Dh500 when the service started in August but from November, the office revised the service fee and started charging Dh5,500 for a ‘will’ registration. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department [ADJD] reduced it to support the registry of wills.

In case of sudden death of the testator, the assets will be distributed by the court as per the will. The wills registration office for non-Muslims builds up the confidence among residents of legal protection of their assets in the UAE and it ensures them the liberty of selecting the appropriate method to write and register their will concerning the disposal of their estate after their death.

A spokesperson of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said: “Now the service fee is only Dh950 for registering a will.”

The spokesperson said: “Any person can bequeath his/her estate to males and females equally and in case of his/her death, the assets will be distributed by the court as stated in the testator’s will.”

Whereas the changing or revoking of will is concerned, the testator can revoke the will at any time, or otherwise replace it by a new one, the spokesperson said.

The office helps legalising a will of a non-Muslim for the disposition of a deceased’s estates, nominating a guardian for his/her minor children, he said. From August last year, a special “Non-Muslims Wills Office” started operations at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to register inheritance wills for non-Muslim expatriates in the capital.

So far, more than 100 people have registered their will at the office.

Speaking to Gulf News, Mohammad Marria, managing partner of Just Wills, said, “It’s of paramount importance that a legally acceptable will is drawn up, detailing all the assets and names of beneficiaries. As people from many nationalities live in the UAE, they can now legally register their will here. It guarantees that their families and children can legally claim the assets in the UAE in case of testator’s death.”

As per the will, beneficiaries can claim assets of the testator anywhere in the UAE, whether they register in Abu Dhabi or United Arab Emirates. It will be valid for all the UAE, Marria said.

“More than 50 of my clients have registered their wills at the Abu Dhabi office but I can say that approximately, so far, more than 100 expatriates would have registered their wills at the Non-Muslims Wills Office in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

About the different services fees, he said, the United Arab Emirates Courts charges Dh2,165 for registering a will and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts takes Dh10,000.”

The office in Abu Dhabi was established after a decision issued in May by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who is also the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to create a registry of wills office and probate for non-Muslims.

HOW IT WORKS:

The application is submitted online at [ADJD] website. The competent employee verifies if the application meets the requirements. A notification by SMS is sent to the applicant with the approval of the application or request of modification. The application fee is paid online through ADJD website.

The applicant can contact the Non-Muslim Wills Registration Office to schedule an appointment for the application processing. Then the applicant has to visit on the fixed date the Non-Muslim Wills Registration Office to submit the original documents. After completing these procedures, finally the will is legalised and will be delivered by the Notary Public of the department.

Residents can contact for details at 02 651 3257 or 02 651 3262 or they can email: wills.non-muslims@adjd.gov.ae

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Emirates ID.

• Passport (original and a copy).

• The document “Will” to be legalised, with a sufficient number of copies for all parties concerned and a copy for records.

• Documentation that provide clear proof of the bequeathed property ownership.

• An official translation attested by the Ministry of Justice is required where the document is drafted in a language other than Arabic language.

• Venue: Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (Main Building)

• Timing: 8am to 2pm [Sunday to Thursday]

• Service Fee: Dh950