Payment order served on you? The objection window under Article 147 is short. Call before you gather documents.
Unpaid invoices, bounced cheques and loans not repaid: fast-track payment orders, claims and enforcement in Dubai. Being chased? We defend debt claims too.
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
A debt recovery lawyer in Dubai chooses the route that your paperwork supports, serves the demand, brings the claim and enforces the result. MBM recovers money owed to businesses and individuals in the UAE: unpaid invoices, returned cheques, defaulted loans and undelivered contracts. We also defend debt claims that are wrong, overstated or already paid.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. You do not have to work this out alone, and we take the legal work off your shoulders. The first question we ask is not how much you are owed but what you can prove in writing. If you hold clear written proof of the debt, there may be a route to an enforceable order without a full trial, and we tell you at the first call whether that fast track is in play. You will always know where your matter stands.
Both positions are legitimate and both need a lawyer, but the strategy is completely different.
Most debts are not disputed. They are simply unpaid, and the debtor is waiting to see whether you will do something. A formal legal notice from counsel changes that calculation more often than clients expect. First we check: the paperwork, what has been said in writing and who the debtor is. Talk to us about recovering a debt · How we recover money
Claims are brought for sums already paid, for amounts inflated beyond the contract, for debts that were someone else’s, and on documents that do not establish what they are said to establish. First we check: the deadline on the papers, the amount claimed and what you have already paid. Talk to us about a claim against you · Defending a debt claim
Returned unpaid. First we check: the cheque, the bank’s advice and the transaction behind it. Talk to us about a bounced cheque · Bounced cheques
Goods or services delivered, never paid for. First we check: the contract, the invoices and proof of delivery. Talk to us about unpaid invoices · Unpaid invoices
Money lent to a person or business. First we check: the loan paperwork, transfer records and any promise to repay. Talk to us about a loan · Which route
Short deadline. First we check: the date it reached you and what it claims. Talk to us about a payment order · Defending a claim
First we check: the judgment and what has been tried. Talk to us about enforcement · Enforcement
First we check: where the debtor and assets are now. Talk to us about a debtor abroad · Enforcement
First we check: the nature of the claim and the stage it has reached. Talk to us about a travel concern · Travel bans
First we check: what you hold in writing and what you want. Tell us what is owed
A payment order lets a creditor with clear written proof of a debt obtain an enforceable order without going through a full trial. Court procedure across the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022, the Civil Procedure Law, in force since 2 January 2023. It includes the payment order, known in Arabic as amr al-ada, which is the fast-track procedure.
That single feature is why the quality of your documents matters more than the size of the debt. A signed contract, matching invoices and an acknowledgement of the debt can put you on a materially faster route than the same amount supported only by conversations. Objections to a payment order are handled under Article 147. As we understand it, a payment order needs a written debt that is due and of a fixed amount (Article 143), and a pre-application notice of at least 5 days is required (Article 144). Whether the procedure is available on your documents, and what an objection would be worth, depends on the facts and is subject to applicable UAE law.
We review the contract, invoices, acknowledgement and payment record to see whether they amount to clear written proof of the debt.
A legal notice is usually sent first. Many undisputed debts are settled at this point, and the notice becomes part of the record if they are not.
Where the documents support it, we apply for the payment order rather than starting a full claim.
The order is served on the debtor, who may object. Objections are handled under Article 147, and the period for them is short.
If no objection succeeds, the order is enforced against the debtor. If the debt is genuinely disputed, the matter may proceed as an ordinary claim.
If you are the creditor, the question is whether your documents are clear enough for the fast-track route, and we check that before anything is filed. If you have been served with an order, the question is whether to object and on what grounds, and the objection period is short. Either way the first step is to read the papers, so call before you reply to anyone. See defending a debt claim if you are the debtor.
The usual sequence is a formal legal notice, then either a payment order where you hold clear written proof or a civil claim where the debt is disputed, and then enforcement of the result. Which step is faster depends far more on the quality of your documents than on the size of the debt.
| Your situation | Route we would assess first | What you need to have |
|---|---|---|
| Invoices unpaid, contract and delivery records in hand | Legal notice, then a payment order if the proof is clear | The contract, invoices, proof of delivery and any acknowledgement |
| The debtor disputes the amount or the work | A civil claim in the appropriate forum | Evidence of performance, correspondence and a clear statement of the sum |
| A cheque was returned unpaid | The route that suits that cheque and the circumstances. See bounced cheques | The cheque, the bank’s advice and the underlying transaction |
| A loan to a person or business | Notice, then a payment order or claim depending on the paperwork | A loan agreement, transfer records and any written promise to repay |
| You hold a judgment, but nothing has been paid | Enforcement of the judgment | The judgment, and what you know of the debtor’s assets |
| The debtor has left the UAE | An assessment of where assets are and whether a UAE judgment can be recognised there | The debtor’s details, last known address and the contract terms |
| The contract points to the DIFC or to arbitration | The forum the contract names. See DIFC and arbitration | The jurisdiction or arbitration clause |
A returned cheque is a documented event, which usually strengthens a recovery claim. We first establish what the cheque was for, what the bank recorded and what route suits it. The routes available depend on the instrument, the underlying transaction and the circumstances of the dishonour, and they can differ from an ordinary unpaid invoice. The current legal position is summarised below, and our bounced cheque lawyer page covers cheques in full, for holders and for issuers.
On a bounced cheque we typically:
The legal treatment of returned cheques has been reformed, so older guidance may no longer be accurate. As we understand it, since the 2022 changes a returned cheque is generally a civil matter that can be enforced directly through the Execution Court, and criminal liability remains only in specified cases such as fraud or bad faith. The position depends on the facts, so we confirm it at your first consultation. For the criminal side, including allegations of fraud or bad faith, see fraud and financial crime.
Where the returned cheque was for rent, the tenancy position matters as well. See recovering unpaid rent.
If you are the person who issued a cheque that was returned, the same documents decide your position: what the cheque was for, whether the underlying debt is owed, and whether any payment has been made. Speak to us before you respond to a demand, and do not sign an acknowledgement without advice.
An unpaid invoice is easiest to recover when the paper trail shows what was agreed, what was delivered and what was never paid. MBM recovers supply, service and contracting debts for businesses, and the work starts with the file, not with the debtor.
Business debts usually involve more than one invoice, a contract with its own payment terms and sometimes a long trading history. Before anything is sent to the debtor we reconcile the invoices and statements into one claim, check the payment terms and decide whether the relationship is worth keeping while you recover the money.
A debt collection lawyer in Dubai can take formal legal steps that a reminder or a phone call cannot: a properly drafted legal notice, an application for a payment order, a civil claim and enforcement. A formal demand from counsel often changes the debtor’s calculation. If it does not, the same notice supports the filing that follows.
For a business creditor we typically:
Some debts are recovered most effectively through firm, structured pressure, and some are settled more sensibly on a payment schedule that you control. We tell you which applies and attach a number to each option, so you can decide whether a structured settlement now beats a full judgment later. If the debt arises from a broken contract rather than simply non-payment, see contract disputes and compensation.
If a claim has been made against you, the objection deadline is the priority, and everything else follows from protecting it. On the debtor’s side the work runs in a different order from a creditor’s, and an urgent call can matter more than a complete file.
Objections to a payment order run under Article 147 and the window is short. Our first act is to make sure it is not missed while the merits are being assessed.
A claim is only as good as its paperwork. We examine whether the documents establish the debt, the amount and your liability for it.
Sums already paid, amounts owed to you by the claimant, and defective performance on their side are all points that must be pleaded to count.
Where a company debt is pursued against an individual, whether that is properly founded is a distinct question worth arguing.
Where something is genuinely owed, a negotiated schedule is usually better than an enforcement process.
On the day the papers arrive, note the date they reached you and send them to us. Until the amount has been checked, do not reply to the claimant, make a part payment or sign anything, because each of these can make the claim harder to answer later.
A payment order objection concentrates on two things: getting the objection in on time, and making sure it raises the right points. Sums already paid, an amount inflated beyond the contract and documents that do not establish the debt are the usual points to test.
A wrongful claim may be for a sum already paid, an inflated amount, or a debt that was never yours. We defend these on the documents and on the law. If the debt is partly owed, we help you separate what is owed from what is not.
We typically:
Speed matters when a payment order has been served, when a limitation or filing deadline is close, or when a debtor appears to be moving assets. In those cases, call us rather than sending a form. You can send documents by WhatsApp.
Judgment is not payment, and enforcement is where many recoveries stall. Enforcement, sometimes described as execution of the judgment, means identifying what the debtor holds and taking the legal steps available against it. It is a separate stage from obtaining the judgment.
MBM takes on enforcement of existing judgments, including judgments obtained by other firms. We start by reviewing the judgment, what has already been tried and what is known of the debtor’s position, and we tell you whether further spend is justified. For the wider framework, including foreign judgments, arbitral awards and interim measures, see our judgment enforcement section.
Our enforcement work typically covers:
Gather what you know before you spend anything: the debtor’s last known address, any new employer or business, the country they have moved to and any assets they may still hold here. With that, we can tell you whether recovery is realistic and which route to try first. The general position is in the questions below.
If a debtor company is in financial difficulty, the options and the priorities change. Tell us what you know at the first consultation, so that we can assess the position before you spend further on a route that may not pay.
A debt is heard where the contract and the type of claim point, and for most debts that is the onshore Dubai Courts. This list shows where the common routes lead.
People often ask whether a travel ban or a measure against assets is available in a debt case. A court can impose a travel ban on a debtor in specified circumstances. Whether any such measure is available to a creditor, on what conditions and at what stage, depends on the law and the facts of the matter, so we assess it case by case and do not promise it.
If you are the debtor and you are worried that a debt claim could restrict your travel, tell us at the first consultation, ideally before you plan to leave. For travel bans in general, how they arise and how they are approached, see our travel ban lawyer page.
Interim measures against assets. Where a debtor may dissipate assets before a judgment can be enforced, a court can in some circumstances grant urgent interim measures. These applications depend on meeting the applicable legal test and typically need to move quickly. See asset freezing orders and interim injunctions.
Debt recovery takes as long as the route you are on and the debtor’s response allow, so we do not quote a standard duration. A payment order on clear documents is a contained piece of work, while a contested claim with proceedings and enforcement is not.
| Stage | What happens | What affects the time it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Review | We check the documents and choose the route | How complete and clear your paperwork is |
| Legal notice | A formal demand is served on the debtor | Whether the debtor responds, pays or disputes |
| Payment order or claim | An application or a filing in the correct forum | Whether the debt is admitted or disputed, and whether the proof is clear |
| Objection or defence | The debtor may object or defend | The objection period, and the merits of the objection |
| Judgment or order | The court issues its decision | The complexity of the dispute |
| Enforcement | The order or judgment is turned into recovery | The debtor’s assets, cooperation and location |
After reviewing your documents we give you an indicative picture of your own matter, in writing, and we update it as it develops.
You will know which route your documents support, and what it costs, before you instruct us. We escalate step by step, starting with the least costly, and most matters do not need every step.
Tell us the amount, the paperwork you hold and who the debtor is. We tell you straight away whether the fast track is in play.
We assess whether your documents amount to clear written proof, and set out the route, the timeline and the likely cost in writing.
A properly drafted demand, served correctly. A large share of undisputed debts is settled at this point.
We apply for the payment order, or bring the claim where the debt is disputed, including in the DIFC where the contract points there.
Because judgment is the middle of the process, not the end, we enforce, including against assets.
Sometimes a structured settlement now beats full judgment later. We tell you which it is, with a number attached.
Our debt recovery legal services run from the first review of your documents through the legal notice, the payment order or civil claim, and enforcement of the result. Court fees and other third-party charges are separate from legal fees, and we give you the scope and fee position in writing before paid work starts.
In debt matters the documents are the case. This list is in the order it usually matters, and the first three often decide the route on their own. If a payment order has been served on you, call before gathering anything.
Recovery is a procedural exercise before it is an argument, so the first thing you need is a team that reads your documents carefully and chooses the route. Rated 4.9 on Google reviews. MBM is founder-led, by Mohamed Badr, Founder & Managing Partner, who has 17 years of legal experience. You get one team from first call to enforcement, a written scope and fee position before work starts, and a confidential first call. MBM works with group companies in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf, which helps when a debtor or its assets are abroad.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. If you decide to instruct us, we give you a scope and a fee position in writing before paid work starts, and we tell you candidly if the prospects of recovery do not justify the spend.
Cost depends on the route rather than the amount owed. Court fees, translation and other third-party charges depend on the matter and are separate from legal fees, and we explain which are likely to apply. We do not publish a price list.
Owed money, or served with a payment order? Bring us the paperwork and we will tell you which route it supports. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Your free first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah. Money matters are handled in confidence, whether you are the creditor or the debtor.
Founder & Managing Partner
Mohamed Badr leads MBM and has 17 years of legal experience. His career has included roles at law firms and multinational corporations in the UAE, advising businesses on high-stakes disputes, corporate restructuring and commercial litigation.
Names and titles as published on mbm-co.com. Your first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah.
General information on the current framework, not advice on your debt. How it applies depends on your documents and your counterparty.
A payment order, or amr al-ada, is a fast-track procedure under Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022, the Civil Procedure Law in force since 2 January 2023. It allows a creditor who holds clear written proof of a debt to obtain an enforceable order without going through a full trial. As we understand it, it needs a written debt that is due and of a fixed amount (Article 143), after a pre-application notice of at least 5 days (Article 144). Objections are handled under Article 147. Whether your documents amount to clear written proof is the threshold question, and it is worth answering before anything is filed.
In outline, once the order has been served and no objection succeeds, the creditor can move to enforcement against the debtor. If the debtor does object and the debt is genuinely disputed, the matter may proceed as an ordinary claim instead. Either way, we check that your documents support the route before anything is filed.
People often search "defending a debt claim in Dubai lawyer" once the papers arrive. You are entitled to respond yourself, but the objection deadline is short and points that are not raised properly and in time may not count. We recommend taking advice before you reply, so that the deadline is protected while the documents and the amount are checked.
Usually in three stages: a formal legal notice, then either a payment order (where you hold clear written proof) or a civil claim (where the debt is disputed), and finally enforcement. The route table on this page shows which fits your situation. Start by gathering the contract, the invoices and any written acknowledgement, because they decide the route.
The strongest position is a written record showing the debt was owed, acknowledged and left unpaid: a signed contract or purchase order, the invoices, proof of delivery or performance, the payment record, and any written acknowledgement or promise to pay. Because the payment-order route depends on clear written proof, the documents often determine which route is open to you.
A returned cheque is a documented event, which usually strengthens a recovery claim. The routes available depend on the instrument, the underlying transaction and the circumstances of the dishonour, and they can differ from an ordinary unpaid invoice. We advise on which route applies to your cheque rather than assuming one. If the cheque was rent, see recovering unpaid rent.
As we understand it, since the 2022 changes a returned cheque is generally a civil matter that can be enforced directly through the Execution Court, and criminal liability remains only in specified cases such as fraud or bad faith. The position depends on the facts, so we confirm it at your first consultation. Older guidance may be out of date. For the criminal side of financial allegations, see fraud and financial crime.
Often that is the first route to assess, but whether a particular cheque supports direct enforcement depends on the cheque, the circumstances and the current law, so do not assume it. We check which route is open before anything is filed, because choosing the wrong one costs time. See our bounced cheque lawyer page for more detail.
A formal legal notice is the usual first step, and it often settles an undisputed debt without any filing. As we understand it, a pre-application notice of at least 5 days is required for a payment order (Article 144), so we confirm the requirement as part of the route check. Either way, a well-drafted notice supports whatever follows.
Objections are dealt with under Article 147 of Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022, and the objection period is short. Do not wait. If the debt is not owed, is overstated, has already been paid, or the documents do not establish it, those points must be raised properly and in time to count.
It depends on the route and on the debtor's response. A payment order on clear documents is a contained piece of work, while a contested claim with proceedings and enforcement takes longer, and enforcement is a further stage after judgment. We give an indicative timetable once we have reviewed your documents, rather than a standard figure.
Cost depends on the route rather than the amount owed, and on whether the debt is disputed. Your first consultation is free. If you instruct us, we give you a scope and fee position in writing first, and we tell you if the prospects of recovery do not justify the spend. Court fees and other third-party costs are separate.
Whether interest or compensation for late payment can be added depends on the contract and the law, and we check both before putting a figure on the claim. Do not assume that it can be added, or that it cannot. Look at the contract's payment terms and tell us at the first consultation.
Time limits apply to debt claims, and the period depends on the type of debt and the parties. As we understand it, commercial obligations between merchants are generally time-barred after five years, and other periods differ. We confirm the period against your facts and the current law. Do not wait: delay also gives the debtor time to move assets.
A court can impose a travel ban on a debtor in specified circumstances, but whether a travel restriction or other measure is available in a debt case depends on the law, the facts and the stage of the matter, so we assess it case by case and do not promise it. See the section on travel bans and asset measures, and our travel ban lawyer page.
It may be possible, but it is materially harder. It depends on where the debtor and any assets now are, on the terms of the underlying contract, and on whether a UAE judgment can be recognised in the relevant jurisdiction. This is worth assessing before costs are committed rather than after.
Enforcement is a separate stage from obtaining judgment, and it is where many recoveries stall. It involves identifying and attaching assets through the enforcement process. MBM takes on enforcement of existing judgments, including judgments obtained by other firms.
A collection agency chases a debtor for payment. A lawyer can also take formal legal steps: serve a legal notice, apply for a payment order, bring a civil claim and enforce a judgment. Which suits you depends on whether the debt is disputed and on whether formal steps are needed.
The DIFC Courts 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. It is only available where DIFC jurisdiction applies, which usually turns on the contract. If your agreement points to the DIFC, see our DIFC lawyer page.
Yes. MBM's first consultation is free and confidential. It is a discussion of the debt, the documents and your options. If you then want MBM to act for you, you receive a scope and a fee position in writing before any paid work starts.
No. No responsible law firm can promise the outcome of a debt claim or that a debtor will pay. MBM's role is to choose the right route on your documents, act promptly, and tell you honestly what recovery is realistic.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. Tell us briefly what has happened. A member of MBM’s legal team will review your enquiry and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
If a payment order has been served on you, please call rather than waiting for a reply. The objection window is short.
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Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. Bring us the paperwork and we will tell you which route it supports, what it is likely to cost, and whether it is worth pursuing.
