UAE wills guide
Guardianship wills in the UAE: how parents record who should care for their children
A guardianship will is a will (or a section of a wider will) in which a parent records who they would like to act as guardians for their minor children, under the selected court route. A will records your guardianship wishes and appointments; courts make guardianship decisions based on the circumstances and applicable law.
The short answer
Yes. The UAE's will routes give parents ways to record guardianship wishes, and on some routes that can be done in a guardianship-only document. ADGM lists guardianship of minor children only as one of its three non-Muslim will purposes; on ADJD, guardianship sits as an optional section inside the single official court form; DIFC offers a standalone Guardianship Will. ADGM, ADJD and DIFC differ in eligibility, scope, forms, process and fees. Facts from one route do not carry over to another.
What it is
A guardianship will is a will (or a section of a wider will) in which a parent records who they would like to act as guardians for their minor children, under the selected court route.
What it is not
A will records your guardianship wishes and appointments under the selected route. Courts make guardianship decisions based on the circumstances and applicable law.
ADGM
ADGM lists three non-Muslim will purposes: estate only, guardianship of minor children only, and combined estate and guardianship, with a dedicated guardianship will template.
ADJD
Guardianship is included as an optional section of the single official ADJD form, so you can appoint guardians for your minor children in the same document.
DIFC (comparison)
DIFC Courts offers a standalone Guardianship Will. DIFC is included for comparison; QuickWills UAE prepares documents for the ADGM and ADJD routes.
Platform fee
The QuickWills UAE Guardianship Only will type is AED 950. Court, notary and government fees are separate and paid directly to the relevant authority.
Clear, upfront pricing
Start your UAE will today
Launch price AED 1,050 + court fee
was AED 1,500code LAUNCH26, applied automatically at checkout. Limited to the first 50 customers.
- No payment until you download
- Arabic translation included
- Free edits until you download
- Step-by-step court registration handoff
Can I make a guardianship-only will in the UAE?
ADGM, yes. ADGM Courts' Notary Public and Wills Office lists non-Muslim will purposes including "guardianship of minor children only", and publishes a dedicated guardianship will template. The ADGM will route is for non-Muslims (you must never have been a Muslim), aged 21 or over, who own assets in the UAE. Guardianship-only wills sit inside the same eligibility.
ADJD, within the combined form. Guardianship is included as an optional section of the single official ADJD form, so you can appoint guardians for your minor children in the same document. On the ADJD route, guardianship is handled within that combined official court form. For ADJD eligibility and fees, see the ADGM vs ADJD comparison.
DIFC, standalone, for comparison. DIFC Courts offers a standalone Guardianship Will (a will which solely provides for the appointment of guardians). As checked on 3 August 2026, DIFC listed its Guardianship Will at AED 5,000 (single) and AED 7,500 (mirror), and DIFC's page states pre-registration checks for that will type are carried out by in-person appointment, not via the Virtual Registry. DIFC is included for comparison; QuickWills UAE prepares documents for the ADGM and ADJD routes.
What does a guardianship will cost?
QuickWills UAE offers a Guardianship Only will type alongside Estate Only and Estate & Guardianship; the Guardianship Only platform fee is AED 950. Court, notary and government fees are separate from the QuickWills UAE platform fee and are paid directly to the relevant court or authority.
On the court side: as checked on 3 August 2026, ADGM's page lists fees for notarisation of a non-Muslim will as an ADJD fee of AED 950 plus an ADGM Courts fee of USD 155, the same published fee row for any will purpose. Fees can change; re-check the official pages before relying on them. For the full picture across routes, see our UAE will cost guide.
What happens if I never record guardianship wishes?
Without recorded wishes, the decision rests entirely with the court, and the process can involve uncertainty and delay for your family. Recording your wishes puts your appointments on the record, in a registered form, prepared around the selected route's published requirements.
Parents weighing a wider will alongside guardianship can read our guide for expat parents, which covers what a will can record about UAE assets as well as children.
How the guided flow handles guardianship
QuickWills UAE provides self-help document preparation with court-registration guidance. You attend the appointment and register the will yourself. Inside the guided flow:
A guardianship-only will skips the estate steps: you enter your children first, then appoint guardians for them, before reviewing the document.
Minor children are automatically flagged for guardianship, so a guardianship gap cannot slip past unnoticed.
The guided form lets you appoint permanent and interim guardians, each with a substitute.
Couples often use mirror wills to align guardian appointments. One pair-level payment covers both wills, and children and guardian details stay in sync between the pair.
Guardianship will FAQs
Does a guardianship will guarantee custody of my children?
No. A will records your guardianship wishes and appointments under the selected route, but guardianship and custody outcomes depend on circumstances and applicable law. Courts decide, and your will puts your wishes on the record for them.
Can I make a guardianship-only will in the UAE?
On the ADGM route, yes: ADGM Courts lists non-Muslim will purposes including guardianship of minor children only, and publishes a dedicated guardianship will template. On the ADJD route, guardianship is part of the combined official court form. DIFC Courts offers a standalone Guardianship Will, discussed here for comparison. QuickWills UAE prepares documents for the ADGM and ADJD routes.
What is the difference between interim and permanent guardians?
The concepts are route-specific rather than a single UAE-wide taxonomy. DIFC's Guardianship Will page, for example, describes interim guardians as temporary carers (typically locally based) who look after children before the appointed permanent guardians come forward, with permanent guardians as the long-term appointment. In the QuickWills UAE guided form, you can appoint permanent and interim guardians, each with a substitute.
Do guardians have to live in the UAE?
Requirements are route-specific. As a practical matter, interim guardians are often locally based, which is how DIFC frames them, and DIFC's FAQ states its Rules impose no requirement for appointed executors or guardians to be UAE residents.
Can both parents appoint the same guardians?
Each testator makes their own will; couples often use mirror wills to align guardian appointments. With QuickWills UAE mirror wills, one pair-level payment covers both wills, and children and guardian details stay in sync between the pair.
Put your guardianship wishes on the record
Check which Abu Dhabi will route fits you, then record your wishes through guided document preparation. You sign at the court, with our checklist and appointment steps.
Clear, upfront pricing
Start your UAE will today
Launch price AED 1,050 + court fee
was AED 1,500code LAUNCH26, applied automatically at checkout. Limited to the first 50 customers.
- No payment until you download
- Arabic translation included
- Free edits until you download
- Step-by-step court registration handoff