How It Works
Creating your UAE will made simple
QuickWills UAE makes it simple to prepare an ADGM or ADJD will document for Abu Dhabi: the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Courts or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) Civil Family Court. Our guided process is based on your chosen court's published requirements while being simple enough to complete in under an hour.
The step-by-step walkthrough below describes the ADGM route. The ADJD route is fully remote and differs on eligibility, fee and signing. Compare ADGM vs ADJD.
If you're considering ADGM, read our ADGM wills guide for UAE expats.
Preview the guided preparation flow
QuickWills UAE is designed to make UAE will preparation clearer. Here is what you can expect to work through, from checking your route to receiving registration guidance.
Eligibility checker
Answer a few questions to understand whether ADGM or ADJD appears to fit your circumstances.
Guided questionnaire
Work through testator, family, executors, guardians and beneficiaries step by step.
Built-in checks
Prompts help catch missing information before finalisation.
Registration handoff
Receive next-step guidance for completing court registration directly.
Illustrative sample only. Not legal advice. Final document depends on your inputs, selected court route, and court registration requirements.
Step-by-step guide
Before you begin, we guide you through the eligibility criteria for your selected UAE will route. This is information, not legal advice.
Requirements:
- Age: Must be 21 years or older
- Religion: ADGM is for non-Muslims (or those who have never been Muslim); the ADJD civil route serves non-Muslim residents, and in practice ADJD has also been accepting registrations from non-Emirati Muslim residents, confirmed case-by-case
- Assets: Must own assets in the UAE (property, bank accounts, investments, etc.)
- Capacity: Must be of sound mind and not under duress
Our quick eligibility checker will guide you through these requirements and point you to the route, ADGM or ADJD, that fits your circumstances.
What you'll need:
- Valid email address
- Phone number (optional but recommended)
- Secure password
Once registered, you'll have access to your personal dashboard where you can create multiple wills, track progress, and download documents anytime.
Our intelligent questionnaire adapts based on your will type and circumstances. You'll provide information about:
Personal details (testator information):
- Full name (as per Emirates ID/Passport)
- Date and place of birth
- Nationality and passport details
- Emirates ID (if UAE resident)
- Current address and contact information
- Religious declaration
Family information:
- Spouse details (if married)
- Children's information (names, ages, addresses)
- Identification of minor children (under 21 in ADGM)
Executor appointments:
- Primary executor (required)
- Up to two substitute executors (recommended)
- Complete contact and identification details
Guardian appointments (if you have minor children):
- Permanent guardians
- Substitute permanent guardians
- Interim guardians (optional)
- Substitute interim guardians (optional)
Beneficiaries and estate distribution:
- Primary beneficiaries and their percentages (must total 100%)
- Substitute beneficiaries (optional)
- Age conditions for inheritance
- Specific bequests (optional)
Additional provisions:
- Final wishes regarding burial/cremation
- Organ donation preferences
- Special instructions
Language support:
- Complete the questionnaire in English
- Automatic Arabic transliteration for names and places
- Manual editing of Arabic text available
Review process:
- Full summary of all your information
- Section-by-section review with edit capabilities
- Validation checker to ensure completeness
- Final confirmation before generating documents
Document generation:
- Professional PDF document matching official templates
- Draft watermark for initial reviews
- Available in both English and Arabic sections
- Secure download with password protection
What you'll receive:
- Complete will document (PDF format)
- Summary of next steps
- Translation and notarisation guidelines
- Contact information for certified translators
Requirements for legal execution:
Translation (if needed):
- Use a certified legal translator
- Both English and Arabic versions must be present
- Original translator certification required
Signing requirements:
- Must be signed in your own handwriting
- Date the signature
- Sign in the presence of two competent witnesses
- Witnesses must also sign and date
Witness requirements:
- Two witnesses required
- Must be 21 years or older
- Should not be beneficiaries or related to beneficiaries
- Must be of sound mind
- Should be UAE residents (recommended)
ADGM court notarisation:
- Schedule appointment at ADGM Courts online or by phone
- Bring original documents, identification, and two witnesses
- Pay ADGM court fees (~AED 1,520)
- Receive official notarised and registered ADGM will certificate
Important information
Time investment
- Total Online Time: 30-45 minutes
- Can be completed in multiple sessions - your progress is automatically saved
- Review and editing: Available anytime before final submission
Documents you'll need
For creating your will online:
- Valid passport or Emirates ID details
- Contact information for executors and guardians
- Beneficiary details and contact information
- Asset information (approximate values sufficient)
For ADGM notarisation (official requirements):
- The Will: Bilingual format with original signatures, certified translation and translator's stamp
- Identity Documents: Emirates ID (UAE residents) + passport for all applicants
- Asset Documentation: Ownership documents for any assets described in detail in the will
- Translation Credentials: Copy of the certified translator's license card
- Employment Proof: For eligibility verification (if applicable)
- Two witnesses with valid ID (must be 21+, not beneficiaries or their relatives)
- Payment method for the ADGM registration fee (~AED 1,520)
Helpful to have:
- Recent asset valuations
- Bank account details
- Property ownership documents
- Insurance policy information
- UAE visa copy (if applicable)
Language options
- Interface: Available in English
- Documents: Generated with both English and Arabic sections
- Automatic Translation: Names and places auto-converted to Arabic
- Manual Editing: Full control over Arabic text
Will types available
Estate and Guardianship Will
- • Distributes your assets
- • Appoints guardians for minor children
- • Most complete option
Guardianship Only Will
- • Focuses solely on appointing guardians
- • For those with minor children but limited UAE assets
Estate Only Will
- • Distributes assets only
- • For those without minor children
After creating your will
Professional translation service (included)
Cost: Included in platform fee (valued at AED 500)
Turnaround: certified within 48 hours of will completion
Official ADGM requirements:
- Bilingual format mandatory (Arabic and English)
- Certified by a licensed legal translator
- Original signatures required on both versions
- Translator credentials and license verification
Our process:
- Automatic processing upon will finalisation
- Professional certified translators
- Complete Arabic translation with official certification
- Translator's license card copy included
- ADGM court-formatted documents delivered
Advantage: No action required from you - translation and all credentials handled automatically.
Official ADGM notarisation process
ADGM Courts Fees: ~AED 1,520 total, paid directly to ADGM
This composite is approximately AED 1,520 (AED 950 attestation + ~USD 155 notary fee); the AED 950 attestation is collected via SMS payment link during the appointment. It is not a separate optional product.
Location: ADGM Courts, Abu Dhabi
Duration: 30-45 minutes appointment
Booking: ADGM eCourts Platform (digital submission required)
Step-by-step process:
- Submit documents via ADGM eCourts Platform
- Pay ADGM fee via email link (credit card)
- Attend appointment with all required parties and documents
- Document verification by court officials
- Will execution with original signatures (testator + witnesses)
- Pay the ADJD attestation fee via SMS link (~AED 950, included in the ADGM total above)
- Receive official notarised certificate and registration
Important notes:
- ADGM does not handle probate (executors file with the ADJD courts for probate after death, separate from ADJD's own will-registration service)
- Fees are non-refundable once document review begins
- Credit card required for ADGM fee payment
Prefer a fully remote route? ADJD Civil Family Court wills are filed online and confirmed by video call. See our ADGM vs ADJD comparison.
Ongoing management
- Updates: Log in anytime to make changes
- Storage: Secure cloud storage with backup
- Access: Download documents anytime
- Support: Ongoing customer service
Important notes
- Platform Fee: Starting from AED 950 - one-time payment
- Translation Included: Arabic translation (no additional cost)
- Court Fees: Government/court fee paid directly to the relevant court at registration: ~AED 1,520 for ADGM or AED 950 for ADJD
- Edits Before Finalisation: Make changes anytime before notarisation
- Document Access: Access to your documents and account while the service is active
- Route-Specific: Documents prepared around your selected court's published requirements (ADGM or ADJD)
- Email, WhatsApp & live-chat support: Available during business hours