Service hub # Will writing service in Dubai for expats Our will writing service prepares wills for expats who live in the UAE or own assets here. We write down who inherits what, who looks after your children if both parents die, and who carries out the will. We then prepare the Arabic text and tell you where the will can be registered so it can be used when it is needed. ![Older woman writing by hand at a desk](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/will-writing-services-dubai-hero.webp) A will is one of the few documents you never see used. The people who read it are your family, a court and an executor, at a hard time and without you there to explain what you meant. That is why the drafting matters more here than almost anywhere else: every clause has to be clear to a stranger reading it years later. Wills ## Pages under wills Guide ### [Will registration](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) How to register a will in the UAE: the questions that decide between DIFC, the Dubai Courts notary and Abu Dhabi, and how each route changes the drafting. ## At a glance A will for the UAE should name your executor, your beneficiaries, your UAE assets and, if you have young children, a guardian. Assets in your home country may be better covered by a separate will made there. The two wills must be written so that one does not cancel the other. Where you register the will affects how it is used later. The options for expats are explained on our [will registration](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) page. Our will writing service starts from AED 4,000. The rules on what a will can do depend on your religion, nationality and where the assets are. ![Older hands typing on a laptop](https://notariolawyersuae.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/will-writing-services-dubai-inline2.webp) ## Why expats in the UAE make a will Without a will, the question of who inherits and who looks after the children is decided under the rules that apply to your situation, not by your wishes. For many families the practical problems come first: a bank account that cannot be accessed, a property that cannot be sold or transferred, a car that cannot be moved, and children whose guardianship has to be settled while the family is grieving. A registered will gives the family a document that says what you wanted, and names the person with authority to act on it. ## Types of wills in the UAE The word "will" covers several drafting choices. These are the ones people ask about most. ### A single will One person's will, covering their UAE assets and, where relevant, guardianship of their children. ### Mirror wills Two wills, usually for a married couple, that mirror each other: each spouse leaves their estate to the other, and then to the same people after the second death. They are two documents, not one joint will, and each person can change their own. ### A guardianship will A will focused on who will look after minor children. Some families start here, because guardianship is the hardest question to leave open. ### A property will A will covering a specific UAE property, often for owners who already have a will in their home country for everything else. ### A business owner's will A will that deals with company shares and what happens to the business, written so that it fits the company's MOA. What is a mirror will in the UAE used for in practice? Mostly by couples who want the surviving spouse to keep the home and the savings, with the children inheriting after both have died. It is simple to understand and easy to register as a pair. **Civil will for Muslims in the UAE.** People ask whether a Muslim expat can choose a civil will instead of the Sharia rules. The answer depends on current law and on the registration route, and it is a question to settle before drafting. The wording ## What goes into a will we draft A will we prepare for a UAE resident usually has these parts, in this order. Checklist Wills 1 **Your identity** Full name as in the passport, nationality, passport number, Emirates ID number and address. 2 **Scope and revocation** Which assets the will covers, for example "all my assets in the United Arab Emirates", and which earlier wills it cancels. This is the clause most often drafted wrongly, see below. 3 **Executor** The person who will carry out the will, with a substitute if the first cannot act. Their full name and ID details. 4 **Guardian** For minor children, the person who will look after them, with a substitute. We also cover who looks after them in the time before the guardian can travel. 5 **Beneficiaries and shares** Who inherits, in what proportions, and what happens if a beneficiary dies before you. 6 **Specific gifts** A named property, a car, a sum of money or a personal item to a named person. 7 **The residue** Everything not otherwise given, and who receives it. 8 **Signature and witnesses** Signed by you, with the witnesses the registration route requires. ## Drafting points that decide whether a will works ### The revocation clause Many template wills begin with "I revoke all my previous wills". If you already have a will in your home country covering assets there, that sentence may cancel it. A UAE will for an expat with a home country will should revoke only earlier wills covering the same assets. ### How assets are described "My apartment in Dubai Marina" is fine until you sell it and buy another. We describe property by its title deed or plot details where you want a specific gift, and use a general clause for "any real property I own in the UAE" where you want flexibility. Bank accounts are safer described by the bank's name than by an account number, because accounts change. ### Substitutes for everyone An executor, a guardian or a beneficiary can die before you, or be unable to act. Every role needs a second name. ### Guardianship that matches reality If the guardian lives abroad, the will should say who cares for the children until the guardian arrives. Parents often ask about this gap, and it can be written into the will. ### The Arabic text A will used in a UAE court or registry is read in Arabic. The Arabic and English must say the same thing, and names must be spelled consistently with your other Arabic documents. Our [legal translation](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-translation-dubai/) service handles this step. ### Business shares If you own shares in a UAE company, the will must fit the company's MOA and the rules on share transfers. A will cannot give away something the MOA does not let you pass on freely. See our [board resolution and MOA drafting](https://notariolawyersuae.com/board-resolution-and-moa-drafting-dubai/) page if the MOA needs to change first. Step by step ## How to make a will in Dubai: the steps with us 01 ### First conversation We ask about your family, your assets in the UAE and abroad, any existing will, and who you want as executor and guardian. 02 ### Registration route Before drafting, we agree where you will register, because the route affects the format, the witnesses and the language. The comparison is on our [will registration](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) page. 03 ### Draft You receive a draft in plain English. We explain each clause in a call or in writing. 04 ### Revisions You change what you want, as often as you need before signing. 05 ### Arabic text Once the English is final, the Arabic is prepared and checked against it. 06 ### Signing and registration We book the signing and registration appointment and tell you who must attend and what to bring. 07 ### Keep it current A new child, a divorce, a property sale or a move abroad are reasons to review the will. Checklist ## What you should prepare Passport and Emirates ID for you, and for your spouse if you are making mirror wills. Full names and passport details of the executor, the guardian and their substitutes. Names and dates of birth of your children and other beneficiaries. A list of UAE assets: property title deeds, bank names, vehicles, company shares. Any existing will, in the UAE or abroad. ## After the will is signed A will only helps if someone can find it and act on it. Once yours is signed and registered, do three things. ### Tell your executor They should know they are named, where the registered will is held and how to reach us or the registry. ### Keep the registration record with your important papers The registration number or certificate lets your family locate the will quickly. ### Tell your guardian A person named as guardian of your children should agree to it before you sign, and know who to call. If you later leave the UAE but keep a property or a bank account here, keep the UAE will in place and review it alongside the will you make in your new country, so the two still fit together. Prices ## Will writing fees | Service | Our service price | | --- | --- | | Will | From AED 4,000 | | Legal translation | From AED 50 per page | 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 registration fee depends on the route you choose and is charged by that registry. Mirror wills for a couple are two wills. See our [legal document fees](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-document-fees-dubai/) page 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. [Ask on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/971524841790) ### Do I need a will if I already have one in my home country? Often yes. A home country will may not be accepted, or may be slow to use, for assets in the UAE. Some expats keep two wills, one for each country, written so that neither cancels the other. ### Can my wife and I make one will together? We draft mirror wills: two separate wills with matching terms, one for each of you. Each person signs their own will and can change it later. ### Can I name a guardian for my children in my will? Yes. Naming a guardian and a substitute is one of the main reasons parents in the UAE make a will. Say also who looks after the children until the guardian can take over. ### Does a will need to be in Arabic? A will used in a UAE court or registry is read in Arabic, so an Arabic text is usually needed. Where your registration route accepts English, we still recommend an aligned Arabic version. ### Can I change my will later? Yes. You can make a new will that revokes the old one, or amend it through the registration route you used. Review it after any major change in your family or assets. Wills ## Guides for wills [View all guides](https://notariolawyersuae.com/blog/?cluster=will-writing-services-dubai#guides) * [How to register a will in the UAE: choosing where to register](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) How to register a will in the UAE: the questions that decide between DIFC, the Dubai Courts notary and Abu Dhabi, and how each route changes the drafting. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-registration-uae/) * [Can a lawyer be a notary in the UAE?](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) Can a lawyer be a notary in Dubai and the UAE? Yes, once registered as a private notary. Who may notarise, how to check, and what a lawyer alone can sign. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/can-a-lawyer-be-a-notary/) * [Is a lawyer a notary public? The difference between a notary and an advocate in the UAE](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) Is a lawyer a notary public in the UAE? Not automatically. The plain answer under UAE and Dubai law, and how a notary differs from an advocate. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/is-a-lawyer-a-notary-public-2/) * [The UAE Attorney General office: what it does and how it differs by emirate](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) What the UAE Attorney General office does, how the federal prosecution differs from Dubai and Abu Dhabi prosecution, and the documents people need. [Read more](https://notariolawyersuae.com/the-uae-attorney-general-office/) Contact ## Start your will Call or WhatsApp +971 52 484 1790, or email support@notariolawyersuae.com with a short description of your family and assets. We will explain the options before any drafting begins. Phone and WhatsApp [+971 52 484 1790](tel:+971524841790) Email [support@notariolawyersuae.com](mailto:support@notariolawyersuae.com) Office [10th floor, Battuta Gate offices, Dubai, UAE](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PgqFQB2HeC1TEPBQ6) [Read our reviews on Google](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PgqFQB2HeC1TEPBQ6) Our services ## Other services * [Legal drafting](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-drafting-dubai/) * [Legal translation](https://notariolawyersuae.com/legal-translation-dubai/) * [Family and travel documents](https://notariolawyersuae.com/child-travel-poa-consent-letter-dubai-uae/) * [Notary lawyer](https://notariolawyersuae.com/notary-lawyer-in-dubai/) ### Sources for this page * Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law: [https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011](https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011) * Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 27 (language of instruments): [https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4%29%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html) --- Source: https://notariolawyersuae.com/will-writing-services-dubai/