Practice areas
Succession and private client
DIFC wills, foundations, powers of attorney and estates, with particular care for families who own a business or property portfolio in the UAE.
What we do
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Wills
Wills registered with the DIFC Wills Service or in Abu Dhabi, covering UAE property, company shares and the guardianship of your children.
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Business succession
Planning who takes over the business, when, and on what terms, written into a family charter the whole family agrees.
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Powers of attorney
General and special powers of attorney, notarised in the UAE, so the company can keep trading if you can’t act.
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Foundations
DIFC and ADGM foundations that hold family shares and property for children, grandchildren and vulnerable family members.
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Probate and estates
Probate in the DIFC Courts, releasing frozen bank accounts, and dealing with the courts when someone dies without a will.
How we work
Eleanor Hale and Grace Adeyemi lead a team of five private client lawyers, three of them full members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. We meet you at the office, at home or at the business, anywhere in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, at no extra charge.
For business owners, succession is the work that matters most and is most often put off. In the UAE, a family without a plan can find bank accounts frozen and company shares stuck while an estate is settled, so a registered will and clear company documents matter more here than almost anywhere.
Making a will with us
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First meeting
An hour with your lawyer, at the office or at home. We send a short questionnaire first.
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Draft
Your draft will and a letter explaining it in plain English, usually within two weeks.
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Sign and register
Signed and registered at the DIFC Wills Service or in Abu Dhabi, with a copy for you and one kept in our strongroom.
Fees
Published so you can compare. Your quote confirms the exact figure in writing.
Wills and powers of attorney (fixed fees)
- Single DIFC willPlus the DIFC registration fee
- AED 4,500
- Mirror wills for a couple
- AED 7,500
- Will with a business shares planFor company shares held in several jurisdictions
- From AED 12,000
- Power of attorneyPer document, plus the notary fee
- AED 2,500
Estates (uncontested)
Includes identifying assets, the probate or court application, releasing bank accounts, transferring property and shares, and final accounts.
- Probate of a registered DIFC willWhere there is a valid registered will
- AED 12,000
- Full administration, UAE assets onlyTypically 6 to 12 months
- AED 25,000–45,000
- Full administration with assets abroadTypically 12 to 18 months
- AED 45,000–90,000
All fees are plus 5% VAT and third-party fees such as the DIFC Wills Service registration fee, notary and court fees and legal translations, which we list in your quote. Estates with a dispute or a business to sell are quoted individually.
Ask for a quoteEleanor sat at the kitchen table with my father, my sister and me, and got us to a plan all three of us could sign. That’s a skill, not a service.
Questions about succession and private client
Can you visit me at home?
Yes, anywhere in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and in hospital, at no extra charge for wills and powers of attorney.
Where is my will kept?
The original is kept by the DIFC Wills Service or the Abu Dhabi registry, with a copy for you and one in our fireproof strongroom in DIFC.
Does my home-country will cover my UAE assets?
Often not in practice. For non-Muslims, a will registered in the DIFC or in Abu Dhabi is the surest way to cover UAE property and bank accounts. Book a review; for existing clients the first meeting is free.
Talk to Eleanor Hale
A free 20-minute call with Eleanor or a member of the team, usually within one working day.
Direct line +971 4 555 0383
