Power of attorney
Power of attorney for a lawyer in Dubai: the court case POA your advocate files
A power of attorney for a lawyer in Dubai is the document that lets your advocate act for you in a court case: open the case or answer one, attend the hearings, plead and, if you allow it, settle. Pleading before a court is one of the acts that UAE law says needs a special power of attorney, so the POA must name it (Article 870, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025).
We prepare documents; we do not represent people in court. Your advocate does that. Our part is the POA: drafted in English and Arabic, checked against the list of powers your advocate asks for, and signed before our in-house notary public, in person, online or on a home visit.
Side by side
The powers your advocate will ask for
Your advocate will give you a list. This table explains the usual items in plain words, so you know what you are signing.
| Power | What it lets the advocate do | When to include it |
|---|---|---|
| Open and defend cases | Start a case for you, answer a case against you, and attend the hearings | Always |
| Plead | Argue your case before the court | Always. Pleading needs a special power of attorney (Article 870) |
| Appeal | Take the case to the next court, or answer the other side's appeal | If you want the same advocate after the first judgment |
| Settle | Agree a settlement that ends the case | Only if you allow it. Settlement must be named (Article 870) |
| Acknowledge or waive | Admit a claim, or give up a right | Only if you allow it. Acknowledgment must be named (Article 870) |
| Arbitration | Agree to arbitration, or act for you in one | If the dispute may go to arbitration |
| Oaths | Ask the other side to take an oath, or accept one | If your advocate expects it |
| Receive money | Collect amounts the court awards you | If you want payment to come through the advocate |
| Appoint another lawyer | Hand the file to a colleague when needed | If your advocate works in a firm and may need cover |
01
One case or all your cases
A POA can name one case, by its number and court, or cover every case for or against you before the UAE courts. A POA for one case is narrower and easier for you to control. A POA for all cases saves signing a new one for each case, but it gives more away, so read it carefully.
Your advocate will tell you which form they need. If the POA names one case, we copy the case number and the court's name exactly as they appear on your court papers.
Case by case
Who can hold a court case POA
The person you name has to be someone who is allowed to do what the POA asks.
A licensed advocate
In most cases the agent is your advocate. Under the federal law on the legal profession, appearing for a party before the courts is reserved for lawyers licensed in the UAE and entered on the Roll of practising lawyers (Article 6). Emirates with their own judicial authority, such as Dubai, may also regulate the profession by local law (Article 3). We copy your advocate's name exactly as on their licence.
A close relative
The same federal law lets a spouse, an in-law or a relative up to the fourth degree appear for a party (Article 8). If you want a relative to act for you, ask your advocate or the court whether that suits your case before we draft.
A friend or an employee
A friend or an employee can hold a POA to collect papers, pay fees or follow up a file for you, but not to plead for you. If that is all you need, the POA should say so and stop there.
Step by step
How we prepare your court case POA
01
Get your advocate's list
Ask your advocate for the powers they need and their details as on their licence, or put us in touch with them.
02
We draft it in English and Arabic
The case details, the powers and the term. In Dubai a notarised document is in Arabic, or comes with a certified Arabic translation signed with it (Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, Article 27).
03
You check the draft
We explain each power in plain words before you sign.
04
You sign before our in-house notary public
At our office, online or on a home visit. The notary checks your identity and your consent and seals the POA.
05
The POA goes to your advocate
We send it to the advocate's office directly if you ask.
When you are outside the UAE
Sign before a notary where you live, then have the POA attested by your country's foreign ministry, by the UAE embassy or consulate there, and by MOFAIC in the UAE. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone does not complete this route.
You can also sign before an accredited UAE consul, who may carry out notarial acts (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 3), or ask us whether you can sign online with our in-house notary public. Ask your advocate which route fits your case before you sign.
Changing or dismissing your advocate
You may revoke the POA at any time, unless it involves a right of a third party or was issued in the advocate's interest (Article 898). Revoking it at an unsuitable time, or without an acceptable reason, can make you liable to compensate the advocate for the harm (Article 899).
Tell the advocate in writing. If they act within the POA before they know of the dismissal, the act still counts; if they act after they know, they are liable for it (Article 902). If the POA let them appoint another lawyer, revoking it also ends every sub-agency made under it (Article 903). Your new advocate needs a new POA.
Prices
Fees
Our service price and the government fees are separate lines on your quote. Court fees and your advocate's fees are separate from both.
| Service | Our service price |
|---|---|
| Court case power of attorney | From AED 1,500 |
| Translation coordination (add-on) | From AED 350 |
| Urgent handling (add-on) | From AED 250 |
| Courier pickup and delivery (add-on) | From AED 80 |
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
The federal fee for executing or notarising a special power of attorney is AED 100 per party (Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, item 9), and AED 130 per party through a private notary on that schedule. In Dubai, a private notary charges AED 100 per party for registration and AED 100 per signature, and AED 1,000 for a trip outside the office. See legal document fees for the full list.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, ask it on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is for and who will sign it.
Does my lawyer need a power of attorney to represent me in Dubai?
Yes. Your advocate acts for you as your agent, and pleading before a court is one of the acts that needs a special power of attorney (Article 870). Without one, the advocate cannot plead for you.
Can a general power of attorney be used for a court case?
Not if it is written only in general terms. General wording gives management powers only (Article 871). A court case POA can cover all your cases, but it still has to name pleading and the other acts it allows.
Can a family member represent me instead of a lawyer?
Under the federal law on the legal profession, a spouse, an in-law or a relative up to the fourth degree may appear for a party (Article 8). Ask the court or your advocate whether this fits your case.
Can I sign a power of attorney for a lawyer in Dubai from abroad?
Yes. Sign before a notary where you live and complete the attestation chain, sign before a UAE consul, or ask us whether online signing with our in-house notary public works for your case.
Does the POA end when the judgment is given?
It ends when the work is done, at the end of its term, or when you revoke it (Article 897). If you want the same advocate to handle an appeal, make sure the POA covers appeals.
Get your court case POA drafted
Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com with your advocate's list of powers, or their contact details. We have in-house, in person notary public services, online notary public services and home visit notary services. Office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. WhatsApp and online requests answered 24/7. You can also send the details through the request form on our contact page. For court papers in another language, see legal translation; for a POA that is not for a court case, see special power of attorney.
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Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 Promulgating the Civil Transactions Law, Articles 870, 871, 897, 898, 899, 902 and 903: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011/download
- Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 Regulating the Legal Profession and Legal Consultation Profession, Articles 3, 6 and 8: https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/d984aaa6/federal-decree-law-no-34-of-2022-regulating-the-legal-profession-and-legal-consultation-638441976591014059.aspx
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the regulation of the notary profession, Article 3: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 Concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, fee table item 9 and Article 2: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491/download
- Dubai private notary fees, Dubai Media Office: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- MOFAIC, frequently asked questions (attestation chain for documents from abroad): https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs
- HCCH, Apostille Convention status table (the UAE is not a party): https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41