The UAE litigation we handle
- non-payment under supply, services, construction and loan agreements;
- disputes with distributors, agents and joint-venture partners;
- conflicts between company shareholders — see shareholder disputes;
- property and developer disputes;
- claims for damages and penalties, bank guarantee and cheque disputes;
- defending claims brought against you in the UAE.
If you simply need to recover a debt backed by clear documents, a demand letter or a payment order is often faster — see debt recovery.
How the UAE court system is organised
The UAE has more than one court system. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah run their own local courts; in the other emirates, cases go to the federal courts. A case typically passes through three levels: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation.
Alongside them sit the financial-centre courts — the DIFC Courts in Dubai and the ADGM Courts in Abu Dhabi. They work in English and draw on common-law principles. A dispute ends up there if the parties are connected to the financial centre or chose its courts in their contract.
Key features of the onshore courts:
- Arabic is the language of the court: every document and piece of evidence is filed with a legal translation;
- a largely written process: written memoranda and documents carry more weight than oral argument;
- court-appointed experts: on financial and technical questions the court often appoints an expert, and working with that expert frequently decides the case;
- interim measures: attachment of assets or a travel ban on the debtor where the grounds exist.
Who represents you in court
ALROA Legal Consultancy is a licensed legal consultancy. Rights of audience before the UAE's local courts belong to advocates licensed for that purpose in the UAE. So in the onshore courts we work hand in hand with a licensed UAE advocate: the advocate files and appears in court, while we own the strategy, evidence, calculations, dealings with the expert and all communication with you.
For you, that means one team and one responsible lawyer who speaks your language and knows the file. The team and the split of roles are set out in the engagement letter before work begins.
Stages and timing
- Diagnosis (1–2 days). We review the contract, correspondence and payments, check jurisdiction, limitation and prospects, and quote a fee.
- Preparation. Letter before action, evidence, translations, power of attorney. If assets may be moved, an application for interim measures.
- First instance. Statement of claim, exchange of memoranda, work with the expert.
- Appeal and cassation, if the judgment is challenged.
- Enforcement through the court's execution department.
Timing depends on the court, the complexity of the case, whether an expert is appointed and whether the judgment is appealed. We give a realistic range after the diagnosis, not before. If your contract contains an arbitration clause, the dispute goes to arbitration rather than court — see arbitration.
Fees
Consultation from AED 750 for 60 minutes, credited if you engage us. Case work on a fixed project fee from AED 5,000, staged; for money claims, a success fee of 10–25% of the amount recovered plus a fixed element is possible. Court fees, translations and expert costs are charged separately and listed in the estimate. See fees.
FAQ
In the local courts, Arabic, so documents are translated by a legal translator. The DIFC and ADGM Courts work in English. We communicate with you in Russian or English.
In most civil and commercial cases, no: you are represented under a power of attorney. Personal attendance may occasionally be required, and we will tell you well in advance.
It depends on the court, any expert appointment and appeals. We give a realistic estimate once we have seen the documents.
Often yes, but the court will take the jurisdiction and governing-law clauses into account. That is the first thing we check.