UAE Personal Status Law
Jul 18, 2025
Law Number: Federal Decree-Law No. 41/2024
Effective Date: April 15, 2025
Category: Personal Status Law
This modernized family law sets the minimum marriage age at 18, extends custody uniformly to 18 years, introduces new divorce grounds including substance abuse, and reduces arbitration periods from 90 to 60 days.
New Major Reforms in UAE Personal Status Law – Effective April 15, 2025
Marriage Provisions
Minimum Age & Consent: The minimum legal age for marriage is firmly set at 18. Additionally, non-Muslim women may marry without needing a guardian’s consent if their home country permits it, enhancing personal autonomy.
Choice of Applicable Law: Couples now have the option to decide which legal framework will govern their marriage post-ceremony, giving them more control over their marital rights and responsibilities.
Engagement & Dowry: Engagement gifts and dowries are redefined as gifts exceeding AED 25,000 that may be reclaimed if the marriage does not take place, except when they are consumable.
Divorce Reforms
Faster Procedures: The arbitration period for divorce has been reduced from 90 to 60 days, expediting the legal process and reducing financial and emotional strain.
Mandatory Documentation: Husbands are now required to officially document any divorce or reconciliation within 15 days, with failure allowing the wife to claim compensation equivalent to alimony.
Additional Grounds for Divorce: New grounds include divorce due to substance abuse, certain medical conditions (with a one-year grace period for treatment), family abandonment (now shortened to a 6-month notice period), and conditions relating to the detention of the husband.
Child Custody & Parental Rights
Extended Custody Age: Custody now extends uniformly until the child reaches 18, replacing previous age-based rules that differed by gender.
Child’s Voice: Children aged 15 and above are granted the right to choose which parent they wish to live with, provided it’s in their best interest.
Equal Travel Rights: Both parents are afforded equal rights to travel with their children for up to 60 days annually, with provisions for extensions under exceptional circumstances.
Enhanced Non-Muslim Mothers’ Rights: Non-Muslim mothers, who previously faced restrictive custody rules, are now given a fairer chance to retain custody beyond early childhood.
Financial and Maintenance Adjustments
Alimony & Maintenance: The law clarifies and streamlines financial responsibilities after divorce. This includes enhanced provisions for backdated maintenance claims (up to six months) and prioritizes monthly alimony payments to ensure timely financial support.
Asset Division: Marital assets are to be divided based on contributions, with additional safeguards to protect the wife’s rights, whether the marital home is owned, rented, or jointly held.
Other Notable Reforms
Use of the Gregorian Calendar: Legal time periods (such as age calculations) will now be based on the Gregorian calendar instead of the lunar calendar, aligning with global standards.
Khula Regulation Amendments: For Muslim women, the process of khula (a unilateral divorce initiated by the wife) is now simplified, with judicial oversight ensuring that it is not used as a tool to undermine other rights, such as those related to child custody.