Dubai & DIFC / Wills and succession
Wills and Succession
Which succession regime governs an estate is the question everything else follows from. It is not answered by where the person lived, and a will that does not engage the right regime may not do what its author expected.
We aim to respond within 24 hours.
- Applicable regime established before drafting
- Asset location and asset type treated separately
- Coverage and formality checked, not assumed
Succession planning in Dubai fails in a predictable way. A document is prepared, it is described as a will, and nobody establishes which regime it is supposed to operate under or whether the assets it names are actually within that regime's reach. The result is discovered by the family at the worst possible time.
Three questions come before drafting. Which succession regime applies to this person and this estate. Which assets does the chosen instrument actually cover, because coverage is defined by the regime rather than by what the document claims. And what formalities does that regime require, including registration where registration is what gives the instrument its effect.
Asset type matters as much as asset location. Real property, shares in a company, bank accounts and personal effects can each be treated differently, and an estate that looks simple often turns out to need more than one instrument. Appointing executors and, where there are children, recording guardianship wishes are separate decisions again, each with their own requirements.
What arises in practice
Succession questions
The questions that decide whether an estate plan will work as intended.
Which regime applies
The threshold question, decided before any document is drafted.
What the instrument covers
Coverage is set by the regime, not by what the document asserts about itself.
Real property
Immovable property frequently has its own treatment, separate from the rest of an estate.
Company shares and accounts
Business interests and accounts often need specific provision rather than a general gift.
Executors
Who administers the estate, what authority they need and what that requires in practice.
Guardianship wishes
Recording intentions for children, and understanding what effect that record has.
Registration and formalities
The formal steps that give an instrument effect, where the regime requires them.
Disputed wills
Forum, evidence and the grounds on which a will is challenged.
Where you might be right now
Succession situations
You have a will but you are not sure it covers your Dubai assets.
Establish which regime the document was made under and what that regime reaches. A will valid where it was made does not automatically govern assets elsewhere.
Your estate includes property, company shares and accounts.
These can fall under different treatment. An estate of mixed asset types often needs more than one instrument, coordinated so that they do not contradict each other.
Someone has died and the family does not know where to start.
What instruments exist, what regime governs the estate and what authority is needed to deal with each asset. The document checklist comes before any application.
A will has surfaced and you have reason to doubt it.
The forum, the available grounds and the evidence that would be needed are assessed together, because a challenge is only worth bringing if all three line up.
Sources
What this page is built on
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017 on inheritance, wills and probate for non-Muslims, the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry Rules effective 30 June 2019, Part 57 of the Rules of the DIFC Courts, and the Dispute Resolution Authority practice directions that introduced the Business Owners Will and the Financial Assets Will. Checked against the DIFC Courts' published pages on 29 September 2026.
Two points of scope follow from those sources and are easy to miss. The Registry is for non-Muslims, and a registered will covers movable and immovable assets in the Emirate of Dubai and the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Assets elsewhere, and estates of Muslim testators, fall outside it and need separate advice.
Rules and practice directions are revised. Confirm the current text and the applicable practice directions before relying on any of this, and take advice on the particular estate.
The framework
What governs a DIFC will
Dubai Law No. 15 of 2017
- Non-Muslims
The Dubai law on inheritance, wills and probate for non-Muslims, under which the Wills Service and the Registry operate.
DIFC Wills and Probate Registry Rules
- Effective 30 June 2019
Issued under Dispute Resolution Authority Order No. 1 of 2015 and supplemented by practice directions.
Rules of the DIFC Courts, Part 57
- Non-Muslim Wills Registry
Registration of wills at the Registry, the Will Register, case file numbers and the Registrar's role.
Dispute Resolution Authority practice directions
- PD 3 of 2017
- PD 7 of 2017
- PD 8 of 2017
- PD 1 of 2018
Introduced the Business Owners Will and the Financial Assets Will, renamed the Registry, and extended shareholding nominations to companies in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my existing will cover my Dubai assets?+−
Not necessarily. A will valid where it was made does not automatically govern assets elsewhere. Which regime the document was made under, and what that regime reaches, has to be established.
Do I need more than one will?+−
Often, where an estate holds different asset types. Real property, company shares and accounts can each be treated differently, and the instruments must be coordinated so they do not contradict each other.
What comes before drafting?+−
Which succession regime applies, which assets the chosen instrument actually covers, and what formalities that regime requires, including registration where registration is what gives the instrument effect.
Can I record who should look after my children?+−
Guardianship wishes are a separate decision from the disposal of assets, with their own requirements, and what effect the record has depends on the regime.
Does this page state the eligibility rules for a particular wills service?+−
It states the scope that the published rules set: the Registry is for non-Muslims, and a registered will covers assets in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Fees and the detail of probate procedure are revised periodically and are not reproduced here.
Matters before the DIFC Courts are conducted by the firm, with counsel from its panel of DIFC-registered advocates engaged for the hearing. The firm acts as counsel in arbitrations seated in the DIFC and the wider UAE, and conducts the Indian proceedings that follow, including enforcement of UAE awards and judgments in India. This section is legal information, not legal advice.
Establish the regime before drafting the document
A will that does not engage the right succession regime, or that names assets outside its reach, may not achieve what it was written to achieve.
Enquiries are handled in confidence. The firm conducts the matter and engages counsel from its panel of DIFC-registered advocates for any hearing.