The provision of legal services is limited to lawyers and legal advisors, as well as licensed companies. According to federal law, only registered lawyers can plead before the Federal Court and conduct disputes. Board Decision No. 22 of 2011 introduced a new licensing system for individual lawyers in Dubai who provide legal advisory services outside the courts. Legal advice is defined as the provision of “all legal services to the public, with the exception of oral arguments and representation of third parties in the courts of Dubai”. Registered lawyers may be employed or worked only in the offices of lawyers registered as lawyers on the list maintained by the Ministry of Justice. There are no restrictions on the employment of foreign lawyers by domestic lawyers or law firms. VaE`s lawyers are allowed to employ foreign lawyers. If these lawyers are Arab nationals, they can also plead before the courts in certain circumstances. Practising lawyers must be admitted by the Ministry of Justice and Emiri Diwan in the other Emirates as lawyers in the federal courts. Federal law contains certain basic ethical provisions that a lawyer must comply with, such as. B client relations, prohibition of contingency and contingency fees, conflicts and confidentiality. Foreign lawyers can obtain a license as legal counsel and can practice any area of law outside of court appearance.
Can a foreign lawyer be admitted to practise and practise as foreign legal counsel, and what is the scope of this limited admission? Foreign lawyers can practice local law, but only a Dubai national can appear before a court in Dubai. England and Wales take a liberal approach to market access for foreign lawyers and law firms, and London is a global hub for legal services. Lawyers from the UAE are allowed to practice throughout the country, but under Article 4 of the Federal Law, each individual emirate can make a condition that a lawyer must have an office there to practice in that emirate. Dubai requires law firms to obtain a license from the Department of Legal Affairs and complete the necessary formalities with the Department of Economic Development. Lawyers who wish to obtain a license to practice the courts or to set up a law firm should contact the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, which will verify the lawyer`s registration with the Ministry of Justice. A lawyer who is a national of one of the other countries of the Arab Cooperation Council for the Gulf may, in certain circumstances, obtain a license to practice and appear before the courts of Dubai. Each lawyer must obtain sixteen Continuing Legal Professional Development (CLPD) training points, eight of which must come from mandatory CLPD activities, and eight others (divided into a maximum of two groups of four) must be obtained from approved professional development activities selected by legal counsel. The QLTS offers a quick way for qualified foreign lawyers to be admitted as lawyers from England and Wales.
The QLTS ensures that a requalifying foreign lawyer meets the same standards of knowledge and skills required of a newly qualified lawyer from England and Wales. UAE lawyers may be partners in law firms with foreign lawyers, however, the commercial forms of general liability and limited liability company are limited only to UAE nationals. To obtain a lawyer`s certificate, local lawyers must: According to Article 4 of the Federal Law on the Regulation of the Profession of Lawyer, no one is allowed to practise as a lawyer in the State unless registered in the role of practising lawyer maintained by the Ministry of Justice. To be registered, a lawyer must meet the following conditions: 1. be a national of the United Arab Emirates; 2. Be at least twenty-one years of age; 3. have full civil capacity, good character and reputation, and have not been punished with a penalty or disciplinary sanction for breach of honour or trust; 4. Hold a bachelor`s degree in law or Islamic law from an accredited university or higher institute in the state or an equivalent qualification; 5. Have completed the required training period. Registration is required annually. VAT has just been added in the Middle East, but Dubai`s tax system is still very favorable for a foreign lawyer. To move to Dubai, you will need to apply for a visa and, in some cases, requalify.
Obtaining a visa is relatively easier for Australian/New Zealand lawyers than in the US or UK. All of our customers are extremely helpful during this process, helping you every step of the way. Lawyers in Dubai can work in a number of legal forms. They may work as individual practitioners, in partnership or as part of a civil society. The UAE is a recognised jurisdiction for the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) and VaE lawyers can requalify as lawyers in England and Wales. A foreign lawyer can set up as a sole proprietor, but Abu Dhabi usually only encourages large international companies to apply for licenses. There is no separate individual licensing requirement for foreigners working in law firms, outside of the business licensing process, although as part of the business licensing process, the person who runs the office must be approved. Are foreign lawyers allowed to appear before the courts in all circumstances? Lawyers from other Arab countries may participate in advocacy before the courts of the United Arab Emirates in certain cases if they are employed in the office of an Emirati lawyer with an office in Abu Dhabi and provided that the mutual conditions apply in the lawyer`s home jurisdiction. Local lawyers (who are authorized to represent in court) must be UAE nationals, be 21 years of age, hold a certificate from an accredited university or college, and have completed at least one year of continuing practical legal education. .