Practice areas
Disputes
Shareholder fallouts, contract claims and unpaid invoices, resolved as early and as cheaply as the facts allow.
What we do
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Shareholder disputes
Deadlock, exclusion and exit between shareholders in DIFC, free zone and mainland companies.
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Contract claims
Supply, services and construction disputes between businesses, in court or in arbitration.
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Debt recovery
Fixed-fee recovery of unpaid invoices and bounced cheques up to AED 5 million, and enforcement when a judgment is ignored.
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Property disputes
Rental disputes, service charges, late handovers and defects for commercial property owners and tenants.
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Mediation
Representation at mediation, and Chris Lowe sits as a mediator in business disputes.
How we work
Chris Lowe and Owen Fletcher run our disputes team. Every new matter starts with a written early case assessment: what you could recover, what it is likely to cost, how long it will take, and what a sensible settlement looks like. Then you decide.
Around 70% of our cases settle before trial, many at mediation. When a case goes to the DIFC Courts, Chris can represent you himself as a registered practitioner. In the onshore Dubai Courts, where only Emirati advocates may appear, we run the case with an advocate we have worked with for years.
How we recover a debt
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Legal notice
Sent within two working days, giving the debtor five days to pay before we go to court.
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Payment order
If they don’t pay, we apply for a payment order, which the court usually decides on the papers within days.
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Judgment
Most debtors pay or don’t contest it, and the order becomes enforceable, usually within six weeks.
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Enforcement
Attachment of bank accounts, vehicles or property through the court’s execution judge if the judgment isn’t paid.
Fees
Published so you can compare. Your quote confirms the exact figure in writing.
Debt recovery up to AED 5 million (fixed fees)
- Legal noticeSent within two working days
- AED 1,500
- Payment order up to AED 500,000Plus the court fee
- AED 4,500
- Payment order AED 500,000 to AED 5 millionPlus the court fee
- AED 7,500
- DIFC Small Claims Tribunal claimIncluding the hearing
- AED 5,000
- EnforcementDepends on the assets attached
- From AED 3,500
Contested disputes
- Early case assessmentWritten advice on merits, cost and likely outcome
- AED 7,500
- Mediation dayPreparation and attendance
- AED 18,000–30,000
All fees are plus 5% VAT. Court fees are set by the court and depend on the amount claimed, and documents for the onshore courts must be translated into Arabic. If a debt is disputed, we’ll tell you the likely cost of defending it before doing any further work.
Ask for a quoteChris told us the claim was worth fighting and the counterclaim wasn’t. He was right, and it saved us a year in court.
Questions about disputes
Can we recover our legal costs?
In the DIFC Courts, often in part: the losing side usually pays some of the winner’s costs. The onshore courts award only limited legal costs, so we build that into our advice on whether to fight.
Do you work on a no win, no fee basis?
Occasionally, for business clients with strong claims in the DIFC Courts, which allow conditional fee agreements. We’ll tell you after the early case assessment whether it’s an option.
How long does a contested claim take?
Most settle within six to nine months. A claim that goes to trial in the DIFC Courts typically takes 12 to 18 months; onshore cases with appeals can take longer.
Talk to Chris Lowe
A free 20-minute call with Chris or a member of the team, usually within one working day.
Direct line +971 4 555 0389
