How Much Does a UAE Will Really Cost? (2026)

How Much Does a UAE Will Really Cost? (2026)

The cost of a UAE will comes in two invoices.

Invoice one, paid now: a drafting route plus a government court fee, AED 950 at ADJD, around AED 2,020 at Dubai Courts, or AED 10,000 for a DIFC Full Will (2026 fees).

Invoice two arrives only if you never register: accounts frozen 6 to 18 months, court steps, legal costs reaching AED 50,000 in disputed cases.

These are not theoretical numbers.

Gulf News documented a mother who received her son's Dubai savings eight years after his death, and the case of Narendra Gajria, who lost his wife and found close to a million dirhams of her savings blocked in the banks (both articles linked in the sources below).

Stories like these are common knowledge around Dubai by now, which is why even young expats are registering a will.

Educational guide, not legal advice. Rules change and every situation differs: confirm your personal case with a UAE-licensed lawyer.

Quotes for a UAE will in 2026 run from AED 500 for an online template to open-ended hourly estimates from private firms, and a page quoting a single number is quoting one slice of that range.

This guide lays out the whole market: the four tiers, the three layers inside every quote, the government fees by will type, and invoice two, the one addressed to your family if you never register.

The four price tiers in the UAE will market

There is no single price for a UAE will because every route bundles three separate layers: a drafting layer (someone writes the clauses correctly for your family and your assets), a translation layer for the registries that require Arabic, and a government registration layer (the court fee the registry charges to record the document).

Once you separate the three layers, the price ladder stops looking random:

• AED 500 templates: a PDF or online form with standard clauses, no review, no translation, no court coordination.
• AED 6,500 to 7,000 law firms: traditional UAE firms; documented client quotes in this range came hourly-rate, with in-person meetings.
• Fixed-price services, SmartWills among them: preparation, translation, court coordination and support under one number agreed on day one.
• Government court fees, paid on top in every scenario: AED 950 per person or AED 1,900 per mirror couple at ADJD; around AED 2,020 single or AED 4,040 mirror at Dubai Courts; AED 5,000 to 15,000 at DIFC depending on will type (official schedules, 2026).

A template covers only the first layer, with generic clauses. A law firm covers all three and bills the drafting by the hour. A fixed-price service covers all three under a single number. The court fee is the same regardless of provider, because the registry sets it.

The Two Invoices

Every household facing this decision is really facing two invoices.

Invoice one is the one you choose. You pay it now, the amount is known in advance, and it has three line items: your drafting route, translation where the registry requires it, and the government court fee. Itemised per tier:

Invoice two is the one nobody chooses. It exists only when there is no registered will, and it goes to your family. Its line items are open-ended:

• Frozen accounts. When a bank is notified of a death, it freezes the accounts, including the joint account your household may run on (why the joint account freezes too). Without clear documentation, the freeze runs six to eighteen months.
• Court steps. The family applies for succession documents and heirs are identified under default rules, at the court's pace. The DIFC Courts FAQ describes uncontested probate with a registered will as "a few weeks". Without a registered will there is no published official timeline: count months, in some cases over a year.
• Translations and legalisations. Foreign documents need attestation, legal Arabic translation and court validation, each with its own fee and queue.
• Decisions about children. If no guardian is named for minor children, the court appoints one following its own criteria.
• Legal fees. In a disputed case, costs can reach AED 50,000 before anyone has touched a dirham of the estate.

How long invoice two runs, and what it totals, depends on the emirate, the estate and whether anyone contests. The six to eighteen months is the documented range for an unresolved freeze; the AED 50,000 is a disputed-case figure, not an average. Where a specific family would land between those poles depends on facts that only emerge after a death: which emirate, which assets, who contests. This guide stops at the range.

DIY templates: around AED 500 and what you give up

The lowest-priced route to a will-shaped document in the UAE is an online template. Templates sit at around AED 500, arrive as a fillable PDF or web form, and look, on the surface, like a finished will.

And for a truly straightforward estate, that can be a defensible choice. A single person, one bank account, no property, no minors: the template risk is low. The trouble is that lives move. A child is born, a flat is bought, a company is formed, and the generic document is still in the folder.

The problem is what a template cannot do. It will not tell you that a DIFC will needs two adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries, or that ADJD expects three signed sets and a Ministry of Justice legal translation. It cannot flag that a clause written for a UK reader may not survive probate in an Arabic-language registry. It cannot catch an inconsistency between the shares in your clause and the cap table of your Dubai company. By the time anyone finds out, you are not around to fix it.

One client put the cost of that false economy in a Trustpilot review.

The line that matters for this guide is not the price she paid but the months of not knowing what she had:

"The cheap template route was a mistake. [...] Six months later I realised I had no idea whether that document would actually be accepted by the UAE courts or whether the clauses matched what the registry requires. [...] cheap templates are cheap for a reason."

Emanuela, Italy (Trustpilot review). The full account, and the clause patterns behind it, sit in the template guide linked below.

The short version: if your estate is genuinely simple, no minors, no property, no foreign assets, no business shares, an official do-it-yourself route like the TAMM portal can work, and we will tell you so. If any of those elements is present, the gaps a template leaves are their own subject: what a 500-dirham will actually buys goes through them clause by clause.

Traditional law firms: AED 6,500 to 7,000, often hourly

The next tier up is the classic UAE law firm experience. The documented data points come from Trustpilot: one SmartWills client, Flavio, describes collecting two quotes from traditional UAE firms, both in the AED 6,500 to 7,000 range, both hourly-rate with a disclaimer that the final number "could be higher", both requiring three in-person meetings.

Two traits in those quotes matter when budgeting. The hourly framing means the figure quoted is where billing starts: complex assets, multi-jurisdiction holdings, or a clause revised twice can push the final invoice above it. The in-person meetings mean blocking half a day per office visit, a cost that never appears on any invoice.

For senior lawyers with deep UAE succession expertise, that fee is fair value. For estates with active disputes, heavy cross-border exposure or unusual structures, the bespoke route is the right tier, and the honest move is to hire it.

The government fee, by registry and will type

Regardless of who prepares your will, the registry that records it charges a fee. That fee is set by the government, paid directly to the court, and identical no matter which provider you use. No provider can discount or negotiate it away. The only variables are which registry you choose and, at DIFC, which will type.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) charges AED 950 per person and AED 1,900 for a mirror couple (2026). The process is bilingual, English and Arabic with a Ministry of Justice certified translation, it runs remotely, and the registration is valid across all seven emirates. For assets in Dubai there is an extra administrative deputisation step through Dubai Courts.

Dubai Courts charges around AED 2,020 for a single will and AED 4,040 for a mirror pair (2026). The process runs remotely through the dc.gov.ae portal with the testator's UAE Pass, signing is a digital SMS OTP e-signature, and the registered will is bilingual English and Arabic with a Ministry of Justice stamp. Like DIFC, this route registers non-Muslim wills only, and it places the will inside Dubai's own court system.

The DIFC Wills Service runs in English only, under a common-law framework, and since Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 (14 March 2025) its wills are enforced exclusively through DIFC Courts, with no Dubai Courts handoff. No UAE residency is required, and signing happens by video. The headline figure, AED 10,000, is the Full Will fee alone. The official DIFC fee schedule lists four will types, and the narrower ones cost less:

Two smaller DIFC numbers are worth knowing before you book. Each will type carries a booking fee, paid when the appointment is booked, deducted from the registration fee and non-refundable if you cancel before registering: AED 1,000 per will on the Full Will, less on the narrower types (official Schedule of Fees, Article IX). And a registered DIFC will is not frozen forever: the DIFC Courts Wills FAQ puts the modification fee at AED 550 per will, with the change made to the will text itself and signed at a new appointment, since codicils are not accepted.

Set the three schedules side by side and the objection writes itself: DIFC charges roughly ten times the ADJD fee. For a renter with one bank account and no property, that objection wins, and ADJD at AED 950 is the sensible route.

Between the two extremes sits Dubai Courts. For a non-Muslim resident whose estate is centred on Dubai and who does not want the DIFC headline fee, a bilingual will registered in Dubai's own court system at around AED 2,020 is the middle number to weigh.

What the DIFC premium buys is a different enforcement engine. Which route fits depends on where your assets sit, your family and your paperwork tolerance; how the registries compare, profile by profile, maps the decision.

All these figures are government numbers, checked in July 2026, and all can change. The DIFC, ADJD and Dubai Courts schedules are the reference.

The SmartWills fixed-price model

SmartWills sits between the template and the law firm. No AED 500 PDF, no open-ended hourly meter: a fixed price declared on the first call, zero surprises on the final invoice.

What that number covers:

• Your will is prepared through the SmartWills process and reviewed by UAE-licensed partner lawyers who know the chosen registry.
• For ADJD and Dubai Courts registrations, a certified Arabic translation by a Ministry of Justice legal translator, double-checked internally by the team, so the Arabic text matches your English intentions word by word.
• Court coordination: the registration appointment is booked, you are briefed on what the official will ask, and support sits with you on WhatsApp while it happens.
• A WhatsApp support group with your dedicated Legacy Guide from day one, so questions get answered in hours rather than across email threads.
• A scheduled annual Legacy Review, to confirm the will still matches your life (new property, new child, relocated guardian, new company).

What the number excludes is surprises. The figure you hear on the first call is the figure on the final invoice. The only line outside it is the government court fee, itemised separately and paid to the registry.

SmartWills is not a law firm and does not act as one: the legal review sits with the partner lawyers, the coordination sits with SmartWills.

The model has served more than 500 expat families in the UAE, with a 4.6 Trustpilot rating as of July 2026.

If that structure fits what you are looking for, book a free Risk Profile Audit and you will have the fixed number for your situation on the first call.

What three households actually pay

Sticker prices are easy to find; totals take assembling. Here is what the market looks like for three typical households, adding the published components together: indicative sums from 2026 figures, market ranges, never SmartWills prices.

The SmartWills number for each household exists, but it is declared on the first call, not on a public page.

Single renter, one salary account, no property, no minors. Template route: around AED 500 plus the ADJD fee of AED 950, call it AED 1,450 all in. Law firm route: AED 6,500 to 7,000 plus AED 950, roughly AED 7,450 to 7,950. For this profile the template is often enough, and the honest advice is to save the money.

Couple with children and a Dubai apartment. Two coordinated mirror wills with guardianship clauses. Template route: roughly AED 1,000 for a pair of generic documents plus AED 1,900 at ADJD, around AED 2,900, with the template risks above carried by two documents instead of one. Law firm route: AED 6,500 to 7,000 and up, hourly, plus the registry fee, so about AED 8,400 to 8,900 via ADJD, roughly AED 10,500 to 11,000 via Dubai Courts at AED 4,040 mirror, or AED 21,500 to 22,000 via a DIFC Full Will mirror at AED 15,000, before any hourly creep. The registry choice moves the total more than the drafting choice does.

Business owner with shares in up to five companies. The DIFC Business Owners Will covers exactly this case at AED 5,000 single or AED 7,500 mirror, on top of drafting. Through a law firm, budget roughly AED 11,500 to 12,000 all in on the DIFC side. Via ADJD, the AED 950 fee applies and the total is driven by the preparation route instead. Where the shares sit inside a larger structure, the bespoke firm tier is usually the right spend.

Two patterns repeat across all three households. The court fee never changes between providers. And fixed-price services sit between the template and the firm, with the exact number declared on the first call.

Frequently asked questions

Are the court fees included in the SmartWills price?

No. The ADJD fee (AED 950 per person, AED 1,900 per mirror couple), the Dubai Courts fee (around AED 2,020 single, AED 4,040 mirror) and the DIFC fees (AED 5,000 to 15,000 by will type) are paid directly to the government. The SmartWills fixed price covers everything on the coordination side: your will prepared through the SmartWills process and reviewed by UAE-licensed partner lawyers, certified translation where required, court coordination, WhatsApp support and the scheduled Legacy Review. The court fee is itemised separately and remitted to the registry at registration.

Is AED 10,000 the only DIFC price?

No. AED 10,000 is the Full Will registration fee for a single person (AED 15,000 mirror). The official DIFC schedule also lists a Property Will at AED 7,500 single or AED 10,000 mirror for up to five properties, a Guardianship Will at AED 5,000 or AED 7,500, a Business Owners Will at AED 5,000 or AED 7,500 for up to five companies, and a Digital Assets Will at AED 5,000 or AED 7,500. A booking fee per will type is deducted from the registration fee and is non-refundable on cancellation, and updating a registered DIFC will later costs AED 550 per will (official sources linked below).

Why is DIFC more expensive than ADJD?

You are paying for a different enforcement engine. DIFC runs on a common-law framework, in English only, and since Dubai Law No. 2 of 2025 its wills are enforced exclusively through DIFC Courts. ADJD runs on UAE civil law, is bilingual with a Ministry of Justice certified Arabic translation, is valid across all seven emirates, and handles probate through the Abu Dhabi courts, with an administrative deputisation step for Dubai assets. Dubai Courts sits between the two: bilingual, remote, inside Dubai's own court system, at around AED 2,020. The document quality is not the difference; the registry is.

Is the AED 500 DIY template really risky?

It depends on your estate. For a single person with no minors, no property, no business shares and no foreign assets, a template can be defensible. For anything more complex, a template cannot flag witness rules that invalidate the document, clauses a UAE registry expects to see worded differently, or inconsistencies between your wishes and the local legal framework. One reviewer arrived at SmartWills six months after filling in a 500 AED template, unsure whether the document would ever be accepted; the specialist flagged two specific issues in it.

Can I pay a law firm just for drafting and skip their full service?

Some firms unbundle drafting, but you then become responsible for translation, court coordination and the registration appointment yourself. Project-managing those steps, in a second language, against a UAE court calendar, is the work the all-in-one models exist to absorb. The useful comparison is between the drafting line and the value of the hours you would spend on the rest.

What does fixed price actually mean at SmartWills?

It means the number you hear on the first call is the number on the final invoice: no hourly meter, no add-ons for revisions, no escalation if a clause turns out to need more work. The only line outside the fixed price is the government court fee, which is identical regardless of provider and is paid directly to the registry.

What happens if I do nothing?

If a non-Muslim expat dies in the UAE without a registered will, default succession rules apply. Bank accounts, including joint accounts, freeze while the estate is sorted; without clear documentation that freeze runs six to eighteen months. Property transfers stall, the court decides guardianship of minor children following its own criteria, and legal costs in disputed cases can reach AED 50,000 before the family has access to anything.

Sources and update record

• Gulf News: Mother of Dubai expat who died gets his savings 8 years later
• Gulf News: Indian expat Narendra Gajria lost his wife, Dh1 million savings blocked in banks
• DIFC Courts fee schedule, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and Dubai Courts portal: government fees, official schedules checked July 2026
• DIFC Courts fees page, Schedule of Fees Article IX: wills registration fees by will type and booking fees (checked 24 July 2026)
• DIFC Courts Wills FAQ: cancellation terms, AED 550 modification fee, no codicils (checked 24 July 2026)
• SmartWills reviews on Trustpilot

Last updated: 24 July 2026

Changelog: 2026-07-23: first published. 2026-07-24: Dubai Courts added as the third registry across the fee sections, tiers, household examples and FAQ (around AED 2,020 single, AED 4,040 mirror); two documented Gulf News cases added to the opening (eight-years savings release; Gajria blocked savings); Trustpilot line reduced to rating only; role language aligned to corporate service provider.

What the free call actually covers

The Risk Profile Audit is 30 minutes, and you leave with four answers:

• Which registry could fit you: DIFC, ADJD or Dubai Courts, mapped to your nationality, faith context, assets and budget.
• Your exposure points: what would freeze, who would inherit by default, who would be responsible for the children.
• The exact number: the fixed SmartWills fee, declared on the call, before you decide anything.
• The honest verdict: if a AED 500 DIY route genuinely covers you, SmartWills says so and points you to it.

The exact number for your case, declared on the first call, before you decide anything.

If a will we submit isn't accepted by the court for any reason on our side, we redo the entire process at our expense.

Zero pressure. The 30 minutes are useful even if you never hire us.

Book My Free Risk Profile Audit

SmartWills is a corporate service provider working with UAE-licensed partner lawyers, not a law firm. Educational content, not legal advice.