Dubai’s DIFC Courts announces changes to will registration rules

Dubai’s DIFC Courts has announced that will registrations will now cover assets owned by residents and investors across the UAE and outside the country.

The rule change is effective from July 1, a statement said.

The wills service centre also confirmed that existing wills registered with the Courts can be amended free-of-charge until August 31, 2019, to include UAE-wide assets and assets outside the country.

Zaki Bin Azmi, chief justice, said: “With almost eight million expatriates residing in the UAE, the government of Dubai and the DIFC Courts recognised the need for a legal solution for non-Muslims that provides peace of mind for residents and investors.

“Recognising the increased demand, we have now amended our rules to expand the remit of this public service to assets across all the emirates of the UAE and beyond.”

The DIFC Courts established the wills service centre in 2015 as a joint initiative with the Dubai government to give non-Muslims living and investing in the UAE the option to pass on their assets and/or appoint guardians for their children, in accordance with the instructions in their will.

It is the first jurisdiction in the MENA region to offer the service.

Since the service began in 2015, DIFC Courts has registered over 5,000 wills, with more than 85 lawyers representing more than 80 law firms registered as wills draftsmen.

Also read: Building the court of the future in Dubai: Amna Al Owais on leading DIFC Courts