Civil Lawyer Dubai
MBM acts for individuals and businesses in UAE civil matters — contract disputes, money owed, compensation claims and civil court proceedings. Seventeen years in practice, litigation and arbitration in-house, and a free first consultation.
If you already know what the dispute is about, start here
Civil matters divide by what is actually in issue — money, a contract, or a case that has to be decided. Go straight to yours for a more specific answer.
Recovering or defending a debt
Unpaid invoices, returned cheques, defaulted loans, payment orders under Article 147, and judgment enforcement.
Contracts & damagesA contract has broken down
Breach, non-performance, termination, interpretation disputes, and the compensation and damages claims that follow.
Court & DIFCA case has to be filed or defended
Civil court procedure, the DIFC Small Claims Tribunal, appeals where available, and enforcement of judgments.
PropertyThe dispute is about property
Sale and purchase disputes, developer claims and ownership matters are handled by our real estate team.
TenancyThe dispute is with a landlord or tenant
Tenancy matters go to the Rental Disputes Center rather than the civil courts, and run on their own timetable.
Not sure yetTell us and we will place it
Describe it in a few lines. If it is not a civil matter, or not one we should take, we will say so.
The UAE’s civil law foundation was replaced this year
Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Promulgating the Civil Transactions Law, took effect on 1 June 2026 and fully replaces the 1985 Civil Transactions Law. Reported changes include a codified duty of good faith in pre-contractual negotiations, revised civil-liability and damages provisions, and a reduction in the age of legal majority from 21 to 18.
Procedure is governed separately by Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022, in force since 2 January 2023. That statute contains the payment order fast track, which allows a creditor holding clear written proof of a debt to obtain an enforceable order without a full trial, with objections handled under Article 147.
Because the substantive civil law is only months old, guidance published before mid-2026 may be out of date — including guidance still online. We treat the new position as an argument to be constructed on the facts, and everything here is subject to applicable UAE law.
UAE Legislation — uaelegislation.gov.ae · DIFC Courts — difccourts.ae
The civil work MBM does
Advisory and contentious, for individuals and for businesses.
Contract disputes
Breach, non-performance, defective performance, termination and interpretation — plus drafting, review and negotiation before a dispute exists.
Debt recovery and payment orders
Formal demands, the payment-order fast track for creditors with clear written proof, civil claims where a debt is disputed, and enforcement.
Compensation and damages
Loss caused by breach, negligence or a wrongful act — quantified from the documents rather than asserted.
Civil litigation and court representation
Filing and defending claims, representation before the Dubai courts and the DIFC Courts, and appeals where available.
Settlement, mediation and arbitration
Negotiated outcomes from a prepared position, and arbitration where the contract provides for it.
Judgment enforcement
Converting a judgment or award into recovery, including enforcement of judgments obtained by other firms.
How an MBM civil matter starts
The first consultation is free and carries no obligation to instruct us.
Free consultation
Tell us what happened, what you hold in writing and what you want. We will tell you whether there is a claim worth bringing.
Evidence and forum review
We assess liability and loss, identify the correct forum, and set out the route, timetable and likely cost in writing.
Notice or negotiation
A formal legal notice or an opening negotiation. A significant share of civil matters resolve before filing.
Proceedings and enforcement
Where required, we bring or defend the claim in the correct forum and then enforce the outcome.
Civil disputes are decided by evidence and by forum
Not by who is more obviously in the right. The two decisions that most affect the outcome — what you can prove, and where it will be heard — are both made before anything is filed.
- Current on the 2026 civil law. A matter assessed against the 1985 code is assessed against a law that no longer applies.
- Litigation and arbitration in-house. The team advising you is the team that would argue it.
- Route selection first. Payment order, civil claim, arbitration or DIFC — chosen on the documents, not by habit.
- Enforcement as part of the job. Judgment is the middle of the process; recovery is the end of it.
Civil law in the UAE, answered directly
General information on the current framework, not advice on your matter. Note that guidance published before mid-2026 may predate the new Civil Transactions Law.
What does a civil lawyer do?
Civil law covers disputes between private parties over money, contracts, property and compensation, as distinct from criminal matters.
A civil lawyer advises on whether a claim exists, quantifies it, chooses the forum, brings or defends proceedings, and enforces the judgment. MBM’s civil work centres on contract disputes, debt recovery, compensation claims and civil litigation.
What changed in the UAE civil code in 2026?
Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Promulgating the Civil Transactions Law, took effect on 1 June 2026 and fully replaces the 1985 Civil Transactions Law.
Reported changes include a codified duty of good faith in pre-contractual negotiations, revised civil-liability and damages provisions, and a reduction in the age of legal majority from 21 to 18. Because the change is this recent, its practical application is still developing and should be confirmed against the legislation itself.
How long does a civil case take in Dubai?
It depends heavily on the route. A payment order under Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022 is a fast-track procedure for creditors holding clear written proof of a debt and avoids a full trial, while a contested civil claim with expert evidence and appeals is materially longer.
Enforcement is a further stage after judgment. We give an indicative timetable once the documents have been reviewed.
Which court will hear my case?
Usually the contract decides, so it is the first thing to check. Many commercial agreements contain an arbitration clause, and some point to the DIFC Courts, whose Small Claims Tribunal hears claims up to AED 500,000 and up to AED 1,000,000 where the parties agree, with no value cap for employment-related claims.
Otherwise the Dubai courts apply, with procedure governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022.
How much does a civil lawyer cost?
The initial consultation is free. Beyond that, cost depends on the route rather than the size of the claim: a payment order on clear documents is a contained piece of work, while a contested claim with proceedings and enforcement is not.
We give a scope and fee position before you instruct us.
Should I settle or litigate?
Most civil disputes should settle, and a prepared position is what makes a reasonable settlement possible.
Litigation makes sense where the other side will not engage, where the sum justifies the cost and delay, or where a point needs to be decided. We give a view on which applies rather than defaulting to proceedings.
Tell us about your civil matter
Tell us briefly about your matter. Our team will review your enquiry and advise you on the appropriate next step. Everything you send is treated as confidential.
If a deadline is running — an objection window, a filing date, a hearing — please call rather than emailing.
- +971 4 570 0204Dubai office · Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00
- WhatsApp +971 54 596 1111Send the contract or the claim you have received
- info@mbm-co.comAttach whatever documents you have
Thank you — your enquiry is with our team.
A member of the MBM team will review what you have sent and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
If your matter is time-critical, please call +971 4 570 0204 rather than waiting.
Find out what your documents are actually worth.
Bring us the contract, the invoices or the claim you have received. We will tell you the route, the forum and whether it is worth pursuing. The first consultation is free.