UAE will registration fees and planning costs

DIFC’s current published schedule distinguishes Full, Property, Guardianship, Business Owners, Financial Assets and Digital Assets wills, with single and mirror registration figures. Its mirror category applies to a married couple registering their separate wills together. Coverage and suitability should be assessed before using those figures to choose a category.

ADJD’s Civil Family Court page publishes separate regular and special registration fees. That is a service-category distinction, and it should not be assumed that the lower amount includes any professional drafting or that the two categories have identical processing terms. Ask which applies to your file and obtain a dated confirmation of the authority payment.

A professional scope should identify the planning review, document type, bespoke drafting where relevant, language review, revisions and appointment assistance. It should also explain whether existing overseas wills, guardianship or company interests are considered. Two quotations with different work cannot fairly be compared as if they buy the same service.

Complex family circumstances can require more than completing a standard form. Multiple countries, a business structure, vulnerable beneficiaries or a disputed ownership position may need additional advice. Ask for the assumptions behind the quote and a process for agreeing any material scope change. An honest service description explains limitations without replacing them with a general promise of complete protection.

Certificates, translation, attestation and obtaining ownership evidence may be needed depending on the route and facts. Some clients already have usable records; others need a new document chain. Identify each item and who arranges it. Any tax treatment or additional charge should be shown clearly in the written quotation rather than assumed from another provider’s advertised package.

Amendments, revocation, later registration and probate can have their own fees. A supporting inventory update is not necessarily a formal will modification, but a material change may require a new registration process. Business restructuring or foundation work is also separate unless expressly included. Consider the lifetime cost of the chosen arrangement as well as initial registration.

Compare like with like: one person or two, full estate or specific assets, guardianship or no guardianship, bespoke document or template assistance. Record whether official fees are paid directly or included as an itemised disbursement. Check cancellation and rescheduling terms with the authority and provider, because booking payments can have specific conditions.

Before commitment, ask what the deliverable is and how completion will be evidenced. A draft, signed private document and registered will are different outputs. The scope should say which is included and who handles the final steps. A clear fee breakdown makes the decision easier and gives the family a dependable record for later review.