As expected, divorce and financial settlement enquiries have increased significantly following the festive period. Commonly referred to as “Divorce Month”, January is often when individuals seek clarity, early legal advice and practical solutions to protect their financial futures and family arrangements. In response to the growing demand for family law advice, we are pleased to be hosting a Free UK Family Law Clinic in Dubai on 09 and 10 February for UK nationals living in the United Arab Emirates. We are also welcoming senior Barristers from 5 St Andrews Hill, a leading Barristers Chambers in London to support our work at the clinic, ensuring clients benefit from specialist advocacy expertise.

Alongside this, there has been a growing emphasis on Wills and estate planning. Many clients are taking proactive steps to either put a Will in place for the first time or update existing arrangements to reflect changes in circumstances, assets and cross-border considerations. We are working closely with trusted local experts in Dubai on matters of international succession planning, offering clients a truly joined-up approach to cross-border estate and asset planning.

We have also noticed a rise in UK expatriate clients based in Dubai choosing to sell their UK rental properties. This trend reflects a broader restructuring of assets, with many individuals simplifying their portfolios or reinvesting in different jurisdictions. As a result, we are seeing an increase in property sales and related legal work and thanks to our local presence in Dubai, we are able to conveniently undertake ID verification for vendors of UK properties locally, saving clients time and eliminating the need for overseas notarisation or lengthy verification processes. A service that has proven to be a major benefit for our expatriate clients.

In the criminal law sphere, there has been an increase in matters involving international arrest warrants and voluntary surrenders from the GCC and North Africa. Our UK criminal defence team operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, providing round the clock immediate support for clients facing criminal matters. We are able to swiftly coordinate voluntary surrenders with local police forces and courts across the UK, ensuring processes are handled efficiently and with minimal disruption. With experienced senior defence lawyers ready and waiting clients can be assured of prompt representation and expert guidance from the outset.

Whether you require advice on Family Law, Wills and Estate Planning, UK Property matters or UK Criminal matters Astraea Linskills is here to support UK nationals living in Dubai. Spaces at the UK Family Law Clinic in Dubai are limited and strictly by appointment only. To book your free consultation please contact us at info@a-l.law