Wills in the UAE | Dollars & Dirhams

What happens to your family in the UAE if you die without a will? Everything in your name freezes. The bank accounts, the cards, the vehicles, even the mobile phone number that carries every OTP. On this episode of Dollars & Dirhams, Nazneen Abbas chats with solicitor Pooja Bhattia and Vrushali Nadkerni. Vrushali’s story is a tough one; she lost her husband without a will and had to navigate frozen accounts, paperwork for succession and inheritance, and the challenge of keeping just one phone number working. They also talk about a recent change: as of 1 June, the age of majority in the UAE is now 18, not 21. If your will says your kids get assets at 21, it’s time for a review. Got questions about your own situation? Reach out to us; we’re here to help. Chapters • 0:00 What happens without a will • 0:45 Welcome and guests • 1:47 Why everyone delays making a will • 3:30 No will, no direct transfer: gratuity and the court • 6:13 Muslim expats can now register wills • 7:29 The three-month queue at ADJD • 8:37 Succession and inheritance certificates • 9:42 Vrushali's story: everything froze • 12:27 Sharia, guardianship, and the reasons behind the rules • 14:29 When accounts freeze, step by step • 15:50 Opening the file: how the process works • 18:37 "But a will is expensive" • 20:41 Businesses, liquidity, and estate equalisation • 22:13 The law has changed: majority age is now 18 • 24:38 The mobile phone story • 26:03 Getting families to actually talk • 27:13 Final advice About the Host Nazneen Abbas is Vice President at the Continental Group and a veteran of the financial services industry, advising families in the UAE for 40+ years. On Dollars & Dirhams, she hosts the money conversations families keep postponing. Connect with Nazneen:   / nazneen-abbas   About the Guest Pooja Bhattia is a solicitor and Co-Founder and Director at Ma'an Legacy & Legal Consultancy. She advises UAE residents on wills, estate planning and succession, helping families put structures in place before they are needed rather than after. Connect with Pooja:   / pooja-bhattia-a32b40266   Vrushali Nadkerni joins the show as a close friend of Nazneen Abbas. She came on to share her own experience of losing her husband without a will in place, in the hope that telling her story openly helps other families avoid what hers went through.