How Long Does It Take to Get a Divorce in the UAE? A Guide to Divorce Lawyers in the UAE: Timeline

Author : Awatif Al Khouri | Published On : 26 Feb 2026

How Long Will a Divorce Take in the UAE? What Couples Should Expect

It can be hard to think about getting a divorce in the UAE, especially if you’re an expat or a couple who doesn’t know much about the local legal system. Clients, couples, and partners often ask us, “How long will the divorce take?”

The divorce process in the UAE isn’t the same as it is in Western countries. Depending on your situation, the timeline could be as short as a few weeks or as long as a year. This article, written by experienced Divorce Lawyers UAE, explains the timeline in plain language, uses real-life examples, shares interesting facts and figures, and gives you useful advice on how to plan your next steps.

A quick look: Why the Timeline is Important

The length of a divorce, whether it is contested or agreed upon, matters legally, financially, and emotionally. Your decisions early on will affect how long it will take, from your visa status to child custody, asset division, and future plans.

What Factors Affect the Divorce Timeline in the UAE?

There are a number of things that affect how long it takes to get a divorce in the UAE. Think of “speed” as the distance between two points:

• Uncontested Divorce: Like a highway with no traffic that goes smoothly
• Contested Divorce: Like driving through a city with a lot of stops and turns

Here are the things that affect the timeline:

1. 1. Agreement Between Spouses
      Divorce proceedings are generally faster when both spouses agree on all key issues, including financial arrangements and child custody.
   2. Divorce Type (Muslim or Not Muslim)
      The type of divorce can affect how the case is handled and how long it takes. In the UAE, the Personal Status Courts, which use Sharia law, usually handle divorces between Muslim spouses. In some emirates, like Abu Dhabi, non-Muslim expats can go to Civil Family Courts to settle their disputes. These courts may have different rules and timelines.
   3. Court Procedures, Mediation, and Case Complexity
      In many divorce cases, UAE courts require both spouses to attend family counselling or mediation before the matter can proceed further. These sessions are intended to encourage discussion and help the parties resolve their differences without prolonged litigation. The length of this stage can vary, depending on how many meetings are needed and whether any progress is made.
   4. Hard financial and child-related issues
      The timeline may also be extended where there are complicated financial or child-related issues to resolve. Matters such as dividing property, determining financial support, or setting child custody arrangements often require additional hearings and careful consideration, which can add time to the overall process.

Divorce that is in dispute (when issues are contested)

When the spouses can’t agree on things like alimony, child custody, or how to divide their property, the divorce process usually takes a lot longer. These cases can take anywhere from six to twelve months, and sometimes longer, depending on how busy the court is and how complicated the issues are. A divorce that isn’t agreed upon can easily last more than a year if there are repeated hearings or appeals. Like a renovation that shows hidden problems with the structure, each issue that isn’t fixed adds time to the process.

A breakdown of the timeline step by step

1. 1. Putting in the petition
      The court will set a date for the first review once all the required papers have been turned in. This step of the process usually doesn’t take long. It can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how busy the court is and whether the paperwork was done correctly.
   2. Family counseling and mediation
      In a lot of cases, and depending on the emirate, the people involved have to go to family guidance or mediation sessions before the case can move forward. The goal of these meetings is to help spouses work out their problems in a friendly way. If they can’t agree right away, they may need to have more than one session, which can make the process take longer.
   3. Court dates
      If there is a disagreement over the divorce, the court will often hold more than one hearing. The time between hearings can change a lot, mostly because of the court’s schedule and how complicated the case is.
   4. Final Decision
      Once the court approves or determines the final terms, the judge issues the divorce decree.

Fact that expats might find interesting

There are no official nationwide statistics available to the public, but many lawyers say that uncontested divorces in the UAE tend to go faster than in most Western cities, where court backlogs can make the process take more than a year.

How to Make the Process Go Faster

Divorce lawyers in the UAE who have been around for a while say:

Get things in order early

Before you file, make sure you have your marriage certificate, Emirates ID, children’s papers, financial statements, and translations ready.

Say What You Mean

If both spouses can agree on the terms right away, it cuts down on time a lot.

Get Help from a Professional

If you hire experienced Divorce Lawyers UAE, you can avoid delays caused by missing paperwork or misunderstandings.

Conclusion

In short, there is no predetermined period for divorce in the UAE because each case is different. If both spouses can agree on the main points, the process can go pretty quickly and be done in a few weeks or months. But when there are disagreements about money, kids, or other important issues, the process can take longer and last for six months, a year, or even longer. Staying organized, being open to working together when you can, and getting advice from a knowledgeable divorce lawyer in the UAE can all help keep things moving and protect your interests. No matter what stage you’re at, knowing how the process works and getting ready in advance can make a big difference.

Disclaimer:

The above information might not apply if both parties are non-Muslim. Starting from the 1st of February 2023, UAE issued specific family law to be applied between non-Muslim expat residents in case none of them wanted to apply his/her home country's law in the UAE.