A 6% fee — with a cap
The fee for a claim in the Dubai Courts is 6% of the amount, but no more than AED 20,000–40,000 depending on the amount. For commercial claims of up to AED 500,000, no more than AED 5,000 is paid on filing.
Legal Services in the UAE
Legal Services in the UAEDisputes and Litigation in the UAE: Claims, Defence, DIFC and Arbitration
A counterparty has breached a contract or a claim has been filed against you — the outcome is often decided in the first weeks: where the dispute will be heard, which deadlines are already running and what the documents prove. We build the position, gather evidence and translations and handle the case together with UAE-licensed advocates.
- 30 days
- To file an appeal or a cassation appeal
- 6%
- Fee for a claim in the Dubai Courts — with a cap
- EN · AR
- We communicate in English and Arabic
In short
In the Dubai Courts the claim fee is 6% of the amount, with a cap; the defendant has 10 working days from service to file a defence, and 30 days each for an appeal and a cassation appeal. Whether the dispute goes to an onshore court, DIFC, ADGM or arbitration is decided by the contract.
Checked 16 October 2026 · Violetta Absalyamova
Cost of a mistake
10 working days
The time a defendant has to file a defence from service — and service can be by SMS or messaging app. Stay silent, and the court rules without you.
How to avoid itHow a dispute really works in the UAE
Much is decided before court: the contract determines where the dispute is heard, while deadlines and evidence are what you can manage. That is why we start not with a claim but with calculating deadlines and reviewing the documents.
The contract chooses the court
A clause choosing the DIFC Courts, the ADGM Courts or arbitration takes the dispute out of the onshore court. No clause — the onshore court hears the case.
Onshore courts — in Arabic
Statements of claim, memoranda and judgments are in Arabic; documents in other languages are filed with a legal translation. A defendant whose native language is not Arabic is entitled to receive the claim with a certified English translation.
Written proceedings and an expert
Onshore courts decide on memoranda and documents; there is almost no oral argument. The court often refers calculations, quality of work and accounting to an expert — and the expert’s report frequently determines the judgment.
You can settle at any stage
Negotiations, mediation, a settlement agreement — before a claim, during proceedings and after the judgment. A settlement approved by the court or the Amicable Settlement Centre is enforced like a court judgment.
Expert tip
Before filing a claim, answer three questions: what will the documents prove, how much will all instances cost, including translations and expert examination, and does the defendant have assets in the UAE. A judgment without assets is just paper, and sometimes a settlement is the better deal.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal mattersSituations
What clients come to us with
Typical situations
- 01A counterparty has breached the contract: failed to deliver, didn’t complete the work, changed the terms unilaterally — and the correspondence has hit a dead end.
- 02A claim has been filed against your company, a court notice has arrived or an account has been attached — and the defence deadlines must be met.
- 03An employee has filed a complaint with MOHRE or a claim — the matter has moved from paperwork to a dispute.
- 04The contract has an arbitration clause — DIAC, DIFC, ADGM or a foreign centre — and you need to understand where and how to start.
- 05A first-instance judgment has been issued, and you need to decide whether to appeal before the deadline expires.
- 06You want to settle without going to court, but from a strong position: a demand letter, conciliation, a settlement agreement that can be enforced.
Similar, but different
- 01The debt is undisputed and supported by documents — invoices, a reconciliation statement, a cheque. A payment order or a cheque presented for enforcement is faster, without full proceedings.Debt Recovery
- 02A court judgment or arbitral award has already been issued, but there is no money — or a foreign judgment needs to be recognised in the UAE.Enforcement of Judgments
- 03A business partner is siphoning off money or blocking management of the company — a corporate conflict has its own tools.Corporate Disputes
- 04There are signs of fraud or you are being threatened with a criminal complaint — the criminal track comes first, the civil claim can wait.Criminal Cases
- 05A dispute with a landlord or tenant in Dubai starts at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre, not in court.Rental
Benefits
What you get
Comparison
Onshore court, DIFC or arbitration
A general picture. What is available to you specifically depends on the wording of the contract and where the parties are registered.
- When availableOnshore courtBy default, if the contract has not chosen another forumDIFC and ADGM CourtsIf a party is connected to DIFC or ADGM, or the parties have chosen this court in writingArbitrationOnly under a written arbitration agreement
- LanguageOnshore courtArabic; documents with a translationDIFC and ADGM CourtsEnglishArbitrationChosen by the parties, most often English
- ProcedureOnshore courtUAE civil law, written proceedings, court expertsDIFC and ADGM CourtsCommon law-style: disclosure of documents, witnesses, cross-examinationArbitrationUnder the centre’s rules — for example, DIAC 2022; the parties choose the law
- Who representsOnshore courtUAE-licensed advocates; a party may appear in personDIFC and ADGM CourtsLawyers registered with the court, including foreign onesArbitrationRepresentatives of the party’s choice, including foreign lawyers
- AppealsOnshore courtAppeal — for claims over AED 50,000; cassation — over AED 500,000DIFC and ADGM CourtsAppeal with the court’s permissionArbitrationOnly an action to set aside on narrow grounds
- ConfidentialityOnshore courtNot guaranteedDIFC and ADGM CourtsAs a rule, judgments are publishedArbitrationYes, under the rules of most centres
- Legal costsOnshore courtThe losing party usually reimburses court fees and only a token part of the legal feesDIFC and ADGM CourtsCosts are, as a rule, recovered from the losing party to a substantial extentArbitrationCentre fees and arbitrators’ fees — usually the most expensive option
- EnforcementOnshore courtDirectly through the execution judgeDIFC and ADGM CourtsThrough the onshore courts, without reviewing the merits of the disputeArbitrationAfter ratification by a court; abroad — under the New York Convention
Document review
Received a notice of a claim?
Send us the court documents and the contract. We will tell you how much time you have, whether the chosen court is the right one and where to start the defence.
The first weeks
A claim against you or an urgent attachment: who does what
Two scenarios where deadlines run from day one. What we need from you — documents, a power of attorney and quick answers on the facts.
From you — the notice, documents and a power of attorney. Staying silent is not an option: once the defendant has been notified, the court will hear the case without them.
The attachment fee in the Dubai Courts is half of the claim fee. An attachment preserves the assets until the judgment but gives you no priority over other creditors.
Process
8 steps from the first conversation to the result
Every step is visible in the client portal: what’s happening now and whether we need anything from you.
Steps on your side: 1 of 8
We study the contract, correspondence and court documents. First of all, we calculate the deadlines: for responding to the claim, for invoking arbitration, the limitation period for the claims. We look at what is known about the defendant’s assets.
Step 1 of 8
Express analysis and deadlines
We study the contract, correspondence and court documents. First of all, we calculate the deadlines: for responding to the claim, for invoking arbitration, the limitation period for the claims. We look at what is known about the defendant’s assets.
Documents
What you’ll need
The substance of the dispute
- The contract with all annexes, supplementary agreements and orders
- Invoices, completion certificates, delivery notes, bank statements
- Correspondence — email and WhatsApp as full exports with dates and numbers, not screenshots
- Demand letters and replies to them, minutes of negotiations
- A chronology of events in your own words — with dates
If a claim has been filed against you
- The court notice and the claim with all attachments
- The case number and the date of service — deadlines run from it
- Your calculations, objections and the documents supporting them
For representation and attachment
- Licence, articles of association and a document confirming the signatory’s authority
- Power of attorney for the advocate — before a UAE notary, or legalised if signed abroad
- Passport and Emirates ID of the signatory
- What is known about the defendant’s assets: banks, real estate, shares, debtors
Timing and budget
What makes up the budget
The budget of a dispute is made up of court fees, advocates’ and arbitrators’ fees, translations and expert examination. We state it in advance, by stage: you pay for the work, not for a promised result.
- Court feeDepends onIn Dubai — 6% of the claim amount, at least AED 500 and no more than AED 20,000, 30,000 or 40,000 depending on the amount. For commercial claims of up to AED 500,000, up to AED 5,000 is paid on filing, and the rest — up to AED 15,000 — is paid by the defendant if the claim is upheld. Appeal — half of the first-instance fee plus an AED 1,000 deposit; cassation — AED 2,000 plus an AED 3,000 deposit. Other emirates have their own rates.WhenOn filing and at each instance
- Centre for Amicable Settlement of DisputesDepends onAn AED 250 fee to register the dispute. If a settlement is approved, there are no other fees; if the dispute goes to court, the ordinary fee is paid.WhenBefore the claim, for disputes of up to AED 500,000 in Dubai
- UAE advocate’s feeDepends onRepresentation in the onshore courts. On the UAE market, this is usually a percentage of the claim amount: for the first instance, as a rule, up to 10%. An appeal adds about half of that fee, cassation about a quarter; a counterclaim and attachment are charged separately.WhenBy stage of the case
- Arbitration centre and arbitrators’ feesDepends onRegistration fee, administrative fee and arbitrators’ fees on the centre’s scale. The advance on costs is usually paid by both parties in equal shares.WhenOn filing and at the tribunal’s request
- Legal translationDepends onContracts, correspondence and memoranda into Arabic — by a licensed translator. In large cases, this is a noticeable item.WhenAs the case proceeds
- Court expert examinationDepends onAccounting, engineering or other. The court places the advance for the expert on one or both parties — if there is no counterclaim, usually on the claimant. Who ultimately pays is decided by the court in its judgment.WhenIf appointed
- Notarisation and legalisationDepends onPower of attorney for the advocate: in the UAE — before a notary; abroad — a notary, the UAE consulate, then the UAE MOFA and a translation into Arabic by a licensed translator. Documents from abroad are certified the same way.WhenBefore filing
- Our feeDepends onAnalysis, strategy, preparing the evidence and the position, coordinating advocates and translators, keeping in touch with you.WhenBy stage
- What is recovered if you winDepends onOnshore courts usually award court fees and expert costs, but legal fees only as a token amount. Legal fees are recovered more fully under a contractual costs clause, in DIFC, ADGM and arbitration.WhenAfter the judgment
Fees by instance
What the Dubai Courts will charge — from claim to enforcement
Only the fees of the Dubai Courts and the Amicable Settlement Centre — excluding legal fees, translations and expert examination. A commercial claim; indicative as of October 2026.
- Amicable Settlement Centre
AED 250
if the dispute goes through the centre; settlement approved — no other fees
- First instance
AED 5,000 on filing
after the judgment, the defendant pays a further 6% of the award, up to AED 15,000
- Appeal
Half of the first-instance fee
plus an AED 1,000 deposit
- Cassation
Not available
claim under AED 500,000
Click an option to highlight it across every parameter
Getting it right
Common mistakes — and how to avoid them
Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 7 open
01 What people often do
Not opening letters and messages from unknown numbers about “some claim”.
02 What people often do
Filing a claim in an onshore court without noticing the arbitration clause in the contract.
03 What people often do
Bringing screenshots of correspondence to court and translating documents yourself.
04 What people often do
Asking for attachment of “all the property” of the defendant without knowing what they own.
05 What people often do
Sending the counterparty harsh messages and threats during the dispute.
06 What people often do
Filing an appeal “for the record” and adding the grounds later.
07 What people often do
Refusing a settlement on principle.
Ongoing counselsubscription
So the next dispute doesn’t happen
Most disputes grow out of a contract nobody reviewed and correspondence conducted without a lawyer. With the “Business Counsel” subscription, contracts, demand letters and important decisions go through a lawyer before signing — for a fixed monthly fee.
FAQ
Expert answers
Violetta Absalyamova — Business support and legal matters
The contract decides. An arbitration clause leads to arbitration, a DIFC or ADGM Courts clause — to those courts. If there is no clause, the dispute is heard by the onshore court. The DIFC Courts also hear disputes with no connection to the DIFC if the parties have agreed to their jurisdiction in writing — before or after the dispute arises.
Violetta Absalyamova · Business support and legal mattersSources
- Dubai Municipality — Civil Procedure Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022)
- Dubai Legislation — Dubai Courts judicial fees (Law No. 2 of 2019)
- DIFC Courts — the new 2025 law on the DIFC Courts
- ADGM Courts — guide to opting in under Article 13 of the Founding Law
- BSA — 2026 reforms to civil procedure
- IBA — WhatsApp messages as evidence in Dubai courts
- K&L Gates — DIAC 2022 Arbitration Rules
Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.
Often goes with this
What else you may need
Legal ServicesDebt Recovery
The debt is undisputed and supported by documents — a payment order or a cheque presented for enforcement is faster than full proceedings.
Legal ServicesEnforcement of Judgments
The judgment has been obtained, but there is no money: an enforcement file, tracing and attaching assets, recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.
Legal ServicesContracts and Transactions
So that the next dispute is decided by the clause rather than by chance: court or arbitration, penalties and security — set out in the contract from the start.
Next step
Tell us what happened
Describe the dispute and send us the contract, correspondence or court documents. We will tell you where the case will be heard, which deadlines are already running, what your evidence proves and how the budget breaks down by instance. We don’t promise an outcome — we promise an honest assessment.
Violetta AbsalyamovaHead of Legal Practice · Business support and legal matters