Taking care of tomorrow:
Delivering final peace of mind from the comfort of your home To some a morbid subject…to others too taboo to discuss openly…and then there are those that simply see the discussion around such matters as…life admin. Many people feel uncomfortable when it comes to writing or registering their Wills. At the DIFC Courts, we typically hear from those who do come to register that initially when they find the time to sit down and address how they want to distribute their worldly possessions, it is an odd conversation, even if it’s clear in their heads. We imagine some of you are working this scenario through in your minds as you read: you will want to ensure that your children will be looked after until they can stand on their own feet. You want your parents looked after when they can no longer support themselves. Property, shares, bank accounts,
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DIFC COURTS BULLETIN
cars, jewellery — all need to play a role in securing this future. Against this backdrop, DIFC Resolution No. 4/2014 was issued to allow the establishment of the DIFC Courts Wills Service (WS) to enable non-Muslims who are investing and living in the UAE to pass on their assets and appoint guardians for their children in line with their wishes through a Will registration service. Before the launch of the Wills Service in 2015, one of the major concerns for non-Muslim residents and investors in the UAE was that there was no concept of the right of survivorship in the UAE. In fact, some were even unaware until they considered having a Will that if they own property and bank accounts jointly with their spouse, ownership would not automatically pass to the survivor. Many expatriates from countries like the UK, Canada, the US, India and Australia,
