British expats in UAE given new Will service

UAE flag

In a bid to counteract the sometimes restrictive nature of Sharia law, British expatriates in the United Arab Emirates are to be given an exclusive wills service.

Dubai Expatriate Wills will now offer to create wills specifically for expats in the Gulf. Currently, expats who pass on in the Emirates will have their will distributed under Sharia law, and Sharia law is thought to favour male beneficiaries, which could prove problematic.

Through the scheme wills are created online by a UK barrister acting on behalf of the client. Bill Ryan, manging director of the firm said: “Regardless of how the instructions are given the wills are always drafted by a qualified lawyer. Another important feature for the online submission service is that each set of will instructions is reviewed for consistencies and errors and if some aspect of the instructions would benefit, improvements are suggested. This all happens before the final will is drafted and sent to the client. So this is not like any other online will service, where wills are drafted by software without human intervention.”

A number of different services are offered including discretionary trusts, wills for parents with young children amongst others.