UAE: Woman loses Dh800,000 lawsuit against husband who failed to provide 'decent home'

Abu Dhabi - The man told the court that he was building a house for his family and that his wife had exaggerated the amount she spent on renting apartments

An Abu Dhabi woman has lost a nearly Dh800,000 lawsuit against her husband, who she said failed to provide a decent marital home for her and their four children.

As a result, she demanded that the man pay her almost Dh800,000 in compensation for the charges she incurred while renting a hotel apartment and villa.

According to official court documents, the woman had earlier filed a criminal case against her husband for not taking proper care of his family, including the failure to provide a decent home for them despite earning a good salary.

The woman presented her husband's salary certificate to the court, which showed that the man earned a housing allowance of Dh14,666 a month.

The Court of First Instance had earlier fined the man Dh5,000 and instructed him to pay a temporary compensation of Dh21,000 to his wife.

The woman then filed a civil lawsuit, demanding that her husband pay her Dh797,910, which she allegedly spent on renting a villa and a hotel apartment, damages to hotel furniture, and on water, electricity and telephone bills.

Her lawyer had presented a memorandum detailing the amount she spent on accommodation, which she wanted the man to refund.

This included a rental contract for a one-bedroom suite in a hotel where she paid Dh186,410, communication bills made at the hotel worth Dh5,947 and Dh23,795 damages to furniture in the hotel.

The woman also presented a rental contract for a villa located within Abu Dhabi, where she claimed to have stayed with their children for a period of two years (2019 and 2020) and paid Dh340,000.

The cost of furnishing the villa was Dh200,282, and electricity and communication bills amounted to Dh41,476, bringing the total she demanded from her husband to Dh797,910.

The man told the court that he was building a house for his family, which will be completed by the end of this year. He said the woman exaggerated the amount she spent on renting apartments. He also added that her job gives her a monthly housing allowance.

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After hearing from both parties, the Abu Dhabi Family Court and Civil and Administrative Claims dismissed the woman’s lawsuit.

The judge instead instructed the man to pay Dh16,000 as a monthly alimony to his wife, which included rent and and other expenses for her and their children.

The judge said that if the woman opts for a house or place which exceeds what she receives from her husband, she will bear the costs.

• Abu Dhabi