Court Preparation Tool

Courts

United Arab Emirates - onshore courts · Court of First Instance - Civil Circuit

Court of First Instance - Civil Circuit — United Arab Emirates

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Format requirements for this court

Court and trackCourt of First Instance - Civil Circuit
PaperA4
Margins 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm
Type Times New Roman, 12 pt
Line spacing1.5
Paragraph numbering {n}.

Twelve point type with full Arabic coverage, black on white, no handwritten corrections in the body of the claim.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Court of First Instance - Civil Circuit

The statement of claim is registered in Arabic at the counter of the court that has jurisdiction, on A4 paper with 2.5 cm margins, 12 point type and numbered paragraphs. It opens with the court and the parties, then a dated account of the events, the documents relied on, the requests and the signature. A natural person signs in person. Where a claim is registered for a company or by an authorised agent, the registration clerk asks for the authorisation or power of attorney with the file; this tool does not create that authorisation and does not decide who must sign.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Court of First Instance - Small Claims Circuit

The same Arabic statement of claim format is used, but the hearing is shorter and the parties usually attend in person. Attachments are numbered continuously, the amount claimed is stated with its currency, and any document in another language is filed with a certified Arabic translation. The amount claimed must be within the current ceiling of the circuit.

AED — The ceiling of the small claims circuits is fixed by each Emirate's judicial department and by the type of claim. Confirm the figure that applies to your claim with the registration counter of the court you file in before you prepare the document set.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Filing checklist - what to bring, in how many copies, and why documents get returned.

  1. One signed statement of claim written in Arabic, with the heading, the parties, the dated events, the requests and the signature completed.

    صحيفة دعوى - Claim Form (as prescribed by the Emirate judicial department)

    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  2. A copy for each party to be notified plus one copy for the court file; the court serves the copies and keeps the original.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  3. A certified Arabic translation of every document that is not in Arabic, prepared by a translator approved by the Ministry of Justice and attached behind the document it translates.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  4. The documents relied on, numbered continuously from 1 and listed in the attachment index by number and name.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  5. The court fee for the value of the claim, paid through the e-payment channel of the Emirate's judicial department before or at registration.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  6. A copy of the filer's identity document, and a copy of the trade licence where the claimant is a company.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  7. Where the claim is registered for a company or by an agent, the authorisation or power of attorney, signed and dated.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  8. Registration of the claim on the e-services portal of the Emirate's judicial department, with the case number that the portal returns used in the heading afterwards.

    الخدمات الإلكترونية / e-services of the Emirate judicial department

    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  9. Where the figure claimed rests on a written contract, tenancy or invoice, a copy of the pages relied on, with the payment entries visible.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  10. Signature in ink on the signature line, the printed name beneath it, and a contact telephone number for notices.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Why filings get sent back

The language you read here and the language of the documents are set separately.

Document language: العربية. This is set by the court, not by the language you are reading now.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Disclosure: what this document set is and what it does not cover

This set was assembled by a document preparation tool that organises the facts you supplied and aligns the page format to the filing requirements published for the court named on the cover. It is a format-and-fact organisation aid. It does not give legal advice, it does not create any advisory relationship, and it does not replace a licensed legal representative or a licensed lawyer. No opinion is offered on the strength of any position or on which rule applies. You remain responsible for the contents of everything you file, for meeting every deadline, and for taking advice from a licensed legal representative about your situation. Every format rule in this set is listed with its source so that you can check it yourself.

I have read this disclosure and I understand that this set is a format-and-fact organisation aid, that it is not legal advice, that no lawyer has reviewed my documents, and that the statement of claim is registered in Arabic in the onshore courts.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Confirm you understand: citations are not verified

The system does not check whether a citation is real. You are responsible for checking each one in the official database: UAE legislation portal (uaelegislation.gov.ae) and the official gazette.

UAE legislation portal (uaelegislation.gov.ae) and the official gazette

Check each citation yourself in the UAE legislation portal and in the official gazette: confirm that the instrument exists, that the article you cite is the one in force, and that no later amendment has changed it.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

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