Notary services
Power of attorney for a court case in the UAE: what to sign and where
A court case power of attorney in the UAE is the document that lets a lawyer act for you in a case: file it, plead it, settle it or take it further. The law counts pleading before a court among the acts that need a special power, so the power has to name it. You sign it before a notary in the emirate where you are. In Dubai that can be our in-house notary public in Business Bay, a notary on a home visit, a Dubai Courts centre, or an official online channel.
Your lawyer usually sends the wording. Our part is to check it against your passport and the law, prepare it in Arabic and English, and have it signed and sealed so the lawyer can file it.
- Pleading before the court, settlement, arbitration and oaths are acts that need a special power naming them (Article 870).
- Federal law reserves representation in court to lawyers licensed in the State, and lets a spouse or a close relative appear for a party.
- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah run their own judicial departments; Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain follow the federal system.
- A power made abroad goes through attestation in that country and by MOFAIC before it is used in a UAE court.
- On the federal fee schedule, the government fee is AED 100 per party.
The wording
What the power must say
Article 870 of the Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, lists pleading before the court, settlement, arbitration, and administering and accepting an oath among the acts that need a special agency naming them. A power for litigation usually covers:
Court case power of attorney
- Your name exactly as in your passport, your nationality, and your Emirates ID or passport number.
- The lawyer's or law firm's name, exactly as your lawyer gives it.
- The case: the court, the case number if there is one, or the dispute the power is for.
- The acts, each named: to plead, settle, go to arbitration, or administer and accept an oath, plus any step your lawyer asks for, such as an appeal.
- Whether the lawyer may appoint another lawyer in their place.
- Any limit, such as one case only, or an end date.
Who can act for you in court
Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 on the legal profession reserves representation before the courts to lawyers licensed in the State and listed on the Ministry of Justice roll. It also lets a spouse, an in-law or a blood relative up to the fourth degree appear for a party. Emirates with their own judicial authority, such as Dubai, may regulate the legal profession by local law, so ask the court or your lawyer what applies to your case.
If you end the power during a case, tell the lawyer in writing. Under Article 902, a litigation agent who acts after learning of the dismissal is liable, while acts done before they knew still count.
Side by side
Which notary office, emirate by emirate
A power is signed where you are. The notary office depends on the emirate:
| Emirate | Notary system | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Dubai Courts and private notaries, under Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 | Sign before our in-house notary public in Business Bay, where an Arab notary public sits, at a Dubai Courts service centre, or through Dubai Courts virtual attendance |
| Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, under Abu Dhabi Law No. 11 of 2017 | Its manual describes applying on its website, paying after approval and meeting the notary remotely |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain | Federal system and the Ministry of Justice | The Ministry's digital power of attorney service includes lawyer representation and legal cases |
| Ras Al Khaimah | RAK Courts, its own judicial department | Check RAK Courts for its notary process |
For the offices in each emirate, see our pages on notary offices across the UAE, the Abu Dhabi notary and Dubai Courts notary public locations.
Step by step
Signing a court power from outside the UAE
If you live abroad and the case is here, the power travels in four steps:
1
A notary where you are
You sign before a notary in the country you live in.
2
Attestation there
The foreign ministry of your country, then the UAE mission in your country.
3
MOFAIC in the UAE
The last attestation, applied for online.
4
Arabic translation
A power in another language needs a legal translation into Arabic before it is used in Dubai; we coordinate it.
The other route is a UAE embassy or consulate in your country, if it offers notarial services. Accredited UAE consuls are one of the three kinds of notary under federal law. An apostille does not stand in for these steps, because the UAE is not a member of the Apostille Convention.
Watch for
Why court powers get sent back
- The power does not name pleading, or the act the lawyer needs, such as a settlement.
- The lawyer's name, or the firm's, does not match their licence.
- It names a different case, or a different court.
- It was signed abroad, but one of the attestation stamps is missing.
Prices
Cost
| What | Fee |
|---|---|
| Government fee, federal schedule | AED 100 per party |
| Private notary on the federal schedule | AED 130 per party |
| Dubai private notary | AED 100 per party registration plus AED 100 per signature |
| Abu Dhabi Judicial Department | AED 100 for each year the power runs |
| A court case power of attorney prepared by us | From AED 1,500 |
All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay.
The Dubai Courts government notary charges under its own schedule; confirm that figure on the Dubai Courts site. Your lawyer's fees and the court's fees are separate. The government fees are listed with their sources on notary public charges.
Step by step
How we prepare a court case power of attorney
1
Send us your lawyer's wording
Or the case details, if the lawyer has not sent any yet.
2
We check and translate
We prepare the power in Arabic and English and match every name to the passports and the lawyer's details.
3
You sign
In Business Bay, at your home or office, or online where the route your lawyer uses accepts it.
4
Your lawyer receives it
We send the signed power to your lawyer, and courier the original within Dubai from AED 80.
Can my lawyer use a general power of attorney in court?
Not for pleading. Under Article 871, a power in general wording reaches acts of management and nothing more, and Article 870 requires a special power that names pleading before a court. Ask your lawyer to confirm the wording before you sign.
Can a relative represent me in a UAE court?
Sometimes. Federal law lets a spouse, an in-law or a blood relative up to the fourth degree appear for a party. Otherwise representation is reserved to licensed lawyers. Emirates with their own judicial authority can set their own rules, so ask the court first.
Can I sign a court case power of attorney online?
Yes, through the official remote channels. The Ministry of Justice digital power of attorney service includes lawyer representation and legal cases, and Dubai Courts has offered virtual attendance for signatures on powers of attorney.
What happens if I cancel the power during the case?
Tell your lawyer in writing. A lawyer who acts after learning of the dismissal is liable, while acts done before they knew still count (Article 902). How to send that notice through a notary is set out on our revocation notice page.
Do I have to be in the UAE to sign?
No. You can sign before a notary in your country and have the power attested there and by MOFAIC, or sign at a UAE embassy or consulate that offers notarial services.
Contact
Talk to us
Send us your lawyer's wording or the case details. We will check it, prepare it in Arabic and English, and tell you where to sign.
Phone and WhatsApp
Office
707 Burj Khalifa Blvd, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Dubai time)
Notary services
More in this section
Hub
Notarization services in Dubai: in-house notary public at our Business Bay office, online notary through the official channels, and home visits.
Sources for this page
- Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, Civil Transactions Law, Articles 870, 871 and 902: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/4011
- Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 on the legal profession, Articles 3, 6 and 8: https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/d984aaa6/federal-decree-law-no-34-of-2022-regulating-the-legal-profession-and-legal-consultation-638441976591014059.aspx
- Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022 on the notary profession, Article 3: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1563
- Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 concerning Notaries Public in the Emirate of Dubai: https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2013/Law%20No.%20(4)%20of%202013%20Concerning%20Notaries%20Public%20in%20the%20Emirate%20of%20Dubai.html
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, notary public: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/EN/Pages/notarypublics.aspx
- Abu Dhabi Judicial Department notary guidance manual: https://www.adjd.gov.ae/AR/Documents/%D8%AF%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%84_%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%A8_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84_%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%82Eng.pdf
- The federal judiciary and the local judicial departments: https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-judiciary
- Ministry of Justice, digital power of attorney service: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/media-center/news/21/6/2023/ministry-of-justice-launches-phase-2-of-digital-power-of-attorney-issuance-service.aspx
- Dubai Courts, Power of Attorneys Ratification service page (archived 16 March 2023): https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055912/https://www.dc.gov.ae/PublicServices/GessServiceDetails.aspx?lang=en&ServiceCode=G4
- Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024, Article 2 and item 9: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/2491
- Dubai Courts private notary fee decision, Dubai Media Office: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/december/29-12/dubai-courts-is-preparing-to-implement-the-decision-regulating-the-fees-of-the-private-notary-public
- MOFAIC attestation FAQ: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs