As part of the new law, tourists and people living outside the Emirate will be able to get married in Abu Dhabi.
Only Abu Dhabi is served by this service, and it is only available in that area. The new rule, which enables visitors to finalize civil marriage contracts while also overseeing expats' family affairs, has been passed and will soon take effect.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, approved the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) decision No. 8 of 2022 on Sunday that sets forth the requirements for implementation of the Civil Marriage and Divorce Law No. 14 of 2020 in Abu Dhabi.
Legal issues like civil marriage, divorce, joint child custody, and adoption are governed by the law for foreigners.
Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi's Judicial Department, says the regulations cover the entire organization of legal proceedings under the law's provisions, which introduce a modern and advanced conception of family law for foreigners, which conforms to international standards.
It contains 52 articles concerning the jurisdiction of the Civil Family Court, which was established in the emirate of Abu Dhabi to handle civil marriage and its consequences. This includes divorce, joint custody of children, financial ramifications of divorce, wills, inheritance, proof of parentage, adoption, and other personal status-related matters.
Civil weddings are defined by the law, are based on consent from both husband and wife. According to this, the woman's family members will not need to take part in the approval process.
Divorce is also permitted without establishing any harm to the relationship, and either party can apply for divorce. Previously, a divorce would not be granted if the court did not find that one spouse had caused the other's injury.
The law states that divorce will now be granted at the first hearing for foreign couples without going through the Family Advice Department, and couples who are divorcing will not be required to attend reconciliation sessions.
The amount of compensation or financial rights granted to the wife depends on various factors, such as the number of years the couple has been married, her age, each spouse's finances, and more.
In order to safeguard the children's psychological health and minimize the effects of a divorce, children's custody must be split evenly between the parents under the law.
Furthermore, the legislation covers inheritance difficulties, such as the registration of non-Muslim wills and the freedom of expats to leave their assets to whomever they choose.
Foreigners are also required to establish paternity via marriage or acknowledgement of fatherhood under the legislation.
The sixth chapter of the legislation deals with alimony and post-divorce financial rights cases, as the court's decision is final and enforceable immediately if the amount adjudicated is less than AED 500,000.