UAE wills guide
UAE wills for expat parents: what a will can record for your children and assets
Parents often want clarity about who should care for their children and manage UAE assets if both parents die. A UAE will can record your wishes about UAE assets and, where the selected route allows, guardianship arrangements for minor children — but routes differ, and guardianship or custody outcomes can depend on circumstances and applicable law.
The eligibility checker is informational and is not a legal determination.
The short answer
Many expat parents want to record wishes about UAE assets and, where the selected route allows, guardianship arrangements for minor children. Several official UAE will routes can hold that kind of wording — ADGM, for instance, lists estate-only, guardianship-of-minor-children-only, and combined estate-and-guardianship formats.
Two things keep this subject honest. First, routes are not interchangeable: ADGM, ADJD, DIFC, Dubai Courts and other UAE will routes have different eligibility, scope, process, forms and fees. Second, a will records wishes and appointments — it does not guarantee custody or guardianship outcomes, which can depend on circumstances and applicable law.
What a will records
A will can record your wishes about UAE assets and, where the selected route allows, guardianship arrangements for minor children.
Not a custody guarantee
Guardianship or custody outcomes can depend on circumstances and applicable law — a will records wishes and appointments; courts decide.
Routes differ
ADGM, ADJD, DIFC, Dubai Courts and other UAE will routes have different eligibility, scope, process, forms and fees.
ADGM formats
ADGM lists non-Muslim will options including estate-only, guardianship-of-minor-children-only, and combined estate-and-guardianship formats.
DIFC (comparison only)
DIFC offers a Guardianship Will category; QuickWills UAE currently focuses on ADGM and ADJD document preparation.
Court fees
Court fees are separate from platform fees and paid directly to the court. As checked on 3 August 2026, ADGM listed AED 950 (ADJD) + USD 155 (ADGM Courts).
Which UAE will routes can include guardianship wishes?
ADGM. ADGM Courts Notary Public offers notarisation and non-Muslim wills services in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD). ADGM provides template categories for estate disposition, guardianship of minor children, and combined estate plus guardianship, and its criteria refer to guardians where applicable. ADGM requires a bilingual Arabic/English will format certified by a UAE Ministry of Justice licensed legal translator. As checked on 3 August 2026, ADGM’s page listed an ADJD fee of AED 950 plus an ADGM Courts fee of USD 155 for notarisation of a non-Muslim will — fees can change, and court fees are paid to the relevant authority, not to QuickWills UAE.
ADJD. ADJD may be relevant for some users considering an Abu Dhabi civil-will route; its eligibility and process differ from ADGM and DIFC and should be checked before relying on it. For how the two Abu Dhabi routes differ, see our ADGM vs ADJD comparison.
DIFC (comparison only). DIFC is included here because many parents compare UAE will routes; QuickWills UAE currently focuses on ADGM and ADJD document preparation. DIFC states criteria including not being Muslim and never having been Muslim, age 21 or over, and UAE assets and/or minor children residing with the person in the UAE. DIFC says its Full Will can include appointment of interim and permanent guardians for minor children residing in Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah, where applicable, and it offers a Guardianship Will for appointment of guardians of minor children only. As checked on 3 August 2026, DIFC listed a Single Guardianship Will at AED 5,000 and Mirror Guardianship Wills at AED 7,500. One process nuance: DIFC’s Guardianship Will page states pre-registration checks for that will type are carried out in person, not via the Virtual Registry.
Dubai Courts. This page does not provide Dubai Courts-specific will or guardianship process guidance. DIFC Courts Wills Service is a distinct DIFC Courts route — do not read DIFC facts as Dubai Courts facts.
Does a will decide who cares for my children?
This is the question underneath every parent’s search, so it deserves a plain answer: a will can record your guardianship wishes and appointments under the selected route, but guardianship and custody outcomes can depend on circumstances and applicable law. No document — from any provider, on any route — guarantees a custody outcome.
What recording your wishes does do is put them in a registered, recognised form, prepared around the selected route’s published requirements, rather than leaving the question entirely open. Parents who want to understand how a guardianship-only will works can read our guardianship will guide.
What should parents prepare before starting?
Whichever route fits, the preparation work is similar. Gathering these details first makes the guided flow — or a lawyer conversation — considerably faster.
Parents may consider mirror wills where both want aligned wishes, such as appointing the same guardians — but each parent’s circumstances and route eligibility should be checked. Platform fees are separate from court, government and notary fees; see QuickWills UAE pricing.
Identity details for both parents
Children’s details
Proposed guardians and alternates
Executors
Beneficiaries
UAE asset details
Route-specific supporting information
When to speak to a licensed UAE lawyer
Guided document preparation suits straightforward situations. Parents with any of the following should speak to a licensed UAE lawyer:
- Blended families, divorce or separation, or custody disputes
- Children living outside the UAE
- Muslim or ever-Muslim status affecting route eligibility
- Assets in multiple countries
- Disputes, vulnerable beneficiaries, or business and shareholding structures
Eligibility information on this page is general and route-specific. It is not a legal determination.
Important
QuickWills UAE is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We provide a self-help document-preparation service based on your answers. For advice about your circumstances, consult a licensed UAE lawyer.
UAE wills for expat parents FAQs
Does a will guarantee who gets custody of my children?
No. A will can record your guardianship wishes and appointments under the selected route, but custody and guardianship outcomes can depend on circumstances and applicable law. Speak to a licensed UAE lawyer for advice about your family situation.
Can I appoint interim and permanent guardians in a UAE will?
Some routes use interim and permanent guardian concepts — DIFC materials, for example, refer to appointing interim and permanent guardians in defined situations. The concepts and their effect are route-specific, so check the specific route rules and seek legal advice for child-care arrangements.
Does a UAE will cover both my children and my UAE assets?
Some UAE will routes allow estate provisions and guardianship wording in one document — ADGM, for example, lists a combined estate-and-guardianship format alongside estate-only and guardianship-only options. Scope depends on the route, your assets, your family circumstances and applicable law.
Are all UAE will routes the same for parents?
No. ADGM, ADJD, DIFC, Dubai Courts and other UAE will routes have different eligibility, scope, process, forms and fees, and their guardianship provisions differ too. DIFC Courts Wills Service is a distinct DIFC Courts route — DIFC facts should not be read as Dubai Courts facts.
Can my spouse and I make matching wills?
Parents may consider mirror wills where both want aligned wishes — for example appointing the same guardians — but each parent has their own will, and each parent’s circumstances and route eligibility should be checked. QuickWills UAE supports mirror wills for couples on its supported routes.
Does QuickWills UAE register the will for us?
No. QuickWills UAE helps with document preparation and court-registration guidance. Customers remain responsible for the relevant court submission, appointment, payment, signing, registration and/or notarisation steps, and court fees are paid directly to the relevant court or authority.
Record your wishes while the decision is yours to record
QuickWills UAE provides guided document preparation for ADGM or ADJD will routes, based on the selected route, with Arabic translation included and court-registration guidance. Customers complete the court steps themselves.