UAE issues new personal status laws, sets age limit for marriage, penalties for abusing parents

The UAE Government issued a new decree-law on Wednesday that supports family stability and community cohesion.

Revolving around personal status, the new law introduces penalties for cases of abuse and provisions for certain situations, including legal age of marriage and divorce in the case a spouse is addicted to specific substances.

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This new law aims to strengthen family ties and social stability while also enhancing the protection of family members' rights.

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The key amendments in the new law include:

• Introducing penalties for mistreatment, abuse, neglect of parents, or abandoning them without care. These penalties also apply in the case of refusing to provide financial support when required.
• Introducing penalties for actions related to the assault on minors' property, travelling with a minor without permission, squandering inheritance, and embezzling estate funds.
• Introducing additional provisions for organising rules regarding wills.
• Exempting matters of inheritance, wills, and urgent or temporary cases concerning alimony and custody from being referred to family reconciliation and guidance centres.
• Granting the judge the discretion to refer a case to family reconciliation and guidance centres to expedite procedures.
• Setting the legal age for marriage at 18 years old and establishing rules to facilitate the transfer of guardianship for marriage to the court.
• Allowing either spouse to request divorce if the other spouse is addicted to drugs, psychoactive substances, or alcohol.
• Emphasising the best interests of the child and granting the child the right to choose which parent to live with once they reach the age of 15.

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