Can you divorce from Dubai?
Four questions are enough to find out whether our service is open to you.
Can you divorce amicably without travelling to France?
Are you both French nationals?
Do you agree on the divorce and on all its consequences (children, assets, child support, compensatory allowance)?
Does either of these situations apply to you?
Where do you live today?
If you live in two different countries, choose the one where signing would be easiest.
You can divorce from Dubai, without travelling to France
Two French nationals who agree on everything can divorce amicably under French law, without a judge. Everything is prepared remotely (video call, phone, email), then the agreement is signed at our Dubai office. We then deposit it with a notary in France and have the divorce recorded in your French civil status records.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
You can divorce from Morocco, without travelling to France
Two French nationals who agree on everything can divorce amicably under French law, without a judge. Everything is prepared remotely (video call, phone, email), then the agreement is signed at our office in Morocco. We then deposit it with a notary in France and have the divorce recorded in your French civil status records.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
Your amicable divorce is still possible remotely
All the preparation is done remotely, wherever you live. For the signing, the law requires both spouses and their lawyers to be together in the same place: it can take place at our offices in Dubai or Morocco, or in Paris during a trip to France. We arrange the simplest option with you.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
With a foreign spouse, different rules apply
Our remote divorce service is reserved for couples in which both spouses are French. Where one of you has another nationality, the competent court, the applicable law and recognition of the divorce in that spouse's country must be checked first: we explain these rules on a dedicated page.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
You're almost there
A divorce without a judge requires agreement on every consequence. One or two open points are often settled through negotiation with the lawyers' help: that is what our Support Package is for. Let's discuss it on a first video call.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
An amicable divorce is not possible for now
With several disagreements, the out-of-court route stays closed until a full agreement is reached. A lawyer can help you get there, or guide you to the right procedure.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
A divorce without a judge is not available in this case
French law closes the out-of-court route when a minor child asks to be heard, or when a spouse is under a legal protective measure (Article 229-2 of the Code civil). Let's review together the solution that fits your situation.
Every situation is different: this result does not replace a lawyer's advice.
Why use our French family lawyer in Dubai?
Divorcing in Dubai under French law means keeping a framework you know, without a trip back to France:
French law, no court
No hearing, in Paris or in Dubai: the agreement designates French law and the divorce is final once deposited with a notary in France.
Signing in Dubai
You sign the agreement at our Dubai office, on a date set with you. No flight to Paris.
One point of contact
The same firm follows you in Dubai and in Paris, in French, English or Arabic, until the divorce is recorded in your civil status records.
Divorce law in Dubai for expats: why French law can apply
Many French couples in Dubai think they must choose between proceedings before the Emirati courts and a trip back to France. A frequent worry is that a court might decline jurisdiction because the couple lives in Dubai. An amicable divorce without a judge removes the question: no court is involved, and two French spouses can choose French law wherever they live.
You must agree on the principle of divorce and all its consequences. A judge is still required if a minor child asks to be heard or if one spouse is under a legal protection measure (guardianship, curatorship…). This is the mutual-consent divorce set out in Article 229-1 of the French Civil Code, which we organise for you from Dubai.
| Divorce before a UAE court | French amicable divorce signed in Dubai | |
|---|---|---|
| Judge | Yes, proceedings before the local court | No, lawyers' agreement deposited with a notary |
| Applicable law | According to UAE rules | French law, designated in the agreement |
| Effect in France | Must be checked before being recorded in French civil records | Final in France once deposited with the notary; effective against third parties once recorded in civil status records |
| Trip to France | No | No |
From Dubai to the notary in France
Three stages, only one of which requires you to be physically present, in Dubai:
Remote preparation
First video consultation, documents sent electronically, negotiation and drafting of the agreement between the two spouses' lawyers.
Reflection, then signing in Dubai
Each spouse receives the draft by electronic registered letter and has fifteen days to reflect. Both spouses and their lawyers then meet at our Dubai office to sign.
Notary and civil records, from Paris
Our Paris office sends the agreement to a notary, who deposits it in their official register: the divorce is final. It is then recorded in your French civil status records.
Expect two to three months on average from the first consultation to the notary deposit.
Married in France, living in the UAE
Wherever you married, the divorce ends up in your French civil status records.
- Married in France: the town hall that married you records the divorce in the margin of your marriage certificate.
- Married at the French consulate: your marriage certificate is already French, held by the central civil status office in Nantes, which records the divorce.
- Married before a UAE authority: your marriage must have been transcribed in the French registers. If it was not, we tell you how to do so before the signing.
Children, property and maintenance: what the agreement covers
The agreement settles every consequence of the divorce: the children's residence and contact arrangements, child support, compensatory allowance, division of accounts and assets. For real estate located in France, a settlement drawn up by a notary is attached to the agreement.
The divorce is fully valid in France. For property in Dubai, or maintenance to be enforced locally, how the Emirati authorities take it into account depends on local law: we explain this at the first consultation, based on your situation.
Why us
Your first consultation credited back
if you instruct the firm
At your consultation, a lawyer of DAF Darmon Avocats Famille reviews your case on the merits and on the terms of engagement.
Our fixed fees for French couples in Dubai
A price set upfront, per spouse, including remote follow-up and the signing at our Dubai office.
Signature
Package
€3,070 + VAT
Your situation
- Ø No children
- Ø No income disparity
- Ø No real estate
- Separate-property matrimonial regime
- Ready-made agreement: "We agree on everything, we're ready to divorce."
Support
Package
€3,470 + VAT
Your situation
- Ø No children
- Ø No income disparity
- You need support negotiating your amicable divorce
Family
Package
€4,470 + VAT
Your situation
- Dependent child(ren)
- Ø No income disparity
Compensatory Allowance
Package
€6,270 + VAT
Your situation
- Income or wealth disparity between the spouses
Fee per spouse, excluding VAT: each spouse is assisted by their own lawyer (Article 229-1 of the Code civil)- Remote follow-up (video call, phone, email) and signing at our Dubai office
- Excludes the notary's deposit fee (about €50 including tax, i.e. €41.20 excluding tax, payable once for the couple) and, where jointly owned assets are divided, the 1.10% division duty on the net value divided
- First consultation refunded if you instruct us
- An additional success fee may apply depending on complexity
- Division of matrimonial assets quoted separately
Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates
The service is identical wherever you live in the United Arab Emirates: preparation is remote and the signing takes place at our Dubai office, on a date set with you. Living in another country? See our page on divorce for French expats.
One of you is not French?
Our remote divorce service is reserved for couples in which both spouses are French. With a spouse of another nationality, other rules apply: see our page on divorce in France for foreigners.
French lawyer in Dubai: FAQ
Yes. Two French spouses who agree on the divorce and all its consequences can divorce amicably under French law, without a judge, even while living in the United Arab Emirates, unless a minor child asks to be heard by the judge or one of them is under a legal protection measure. The agreement expressly designates French law and the divorce is fully valid in France.
No. Everything is prepared remotely, by video call, phone and email, and the agreement is signed at our Dubai office, with both spouses and their lawyers present. The notary deposit and the civil status formalities are then handled by our Paris office.
No. A French amicable divorce involves no judge at all, neither French nor Emirati. The agreement signed by the spouses and their lawyers is deposited with a notary in France, which makes the divorce final.
It is fully valid in France, exactly like a divorce signed in Paris. How the Emirati authorities take it into account, for example for property or maintenance to be enforced locally, depends on local law: we explain this at the first consultation.
Our fees are fixed upfront, per spouse and excluding VAT: €3,070 with no children or real estate, €3,470 with support in the negotiation, €4,470 with children, €6,270 where there is compensatory allowance. The notary's deposit fee of about €50 is added, once for the couple, plus the 1.10% division duty on the net value divided where jointly owned assets are divided.
The service is the same. The signing takes place at our Dubai office on a date set with you, and everything else is done remotely.
"He has great human qualities, but above all he is a very intelligent, highly knowledgeable advisor."
"Throughout my divorce (1 year) he was available around the clock, evenings, weekends, even during holidays."
"You were there to smooth things over just as much as when we needed to be defended."
"Excellent support despite the distance (Australia/Paris) and the language barrier."
"Maître Darmon is caring and attentive throughout the whole procedure."
"He has great human qualities, but above all he is a very intelligent, highly knowledgeable advisor."
"Throughout my divorce (1 year) he was available around the clock, evenings, weekends, even during holidays."
"You were there to smooth things over just as much as when we needed to be defended."
"Excellent support despite the distance (Australia/Paris) and the language barrier."
"Maître Darmon is caring and attentive throughout the whole procedure."
