Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Leads Civil Family Services With 53,000 Civil Marriages And 21,000 Wills

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department reported strong demand for services at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, which recorded 53,000 civil marriage contracts for foreigners and 21,000 civil wills since Civil Marriage Law No. 14 of 2021 took effect, highlighting sustained use of the Emirate’s specialised framework for non-Muslim personal status matters.

The court’s activity is directed at foreign residents and visitors, with a focus on clear legal language and digital access. Officials highlight that the model speaks to an international audience and uses streamlined procedures, helping position Abu Dhabi as a regional centre for civil marriage, wills, and related personal status services.

Growth has been especially evident in civil marriage contracts. Annual registrations climbed from 5,400 in 2022 to 12,000 in 2023, then 16,200 in 2024, before reaching 19,000 in 2025, a 17% rise over 2024. This upward trend produced a cumulative total of almost 53,000 civil marriage contracts under the civil marriage regime.

The current operational rhythm shows how busy the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has become. The court now records about 1,600 civil marriage registrations each month, which averages 70 contracts daily. On an hourly basis, this means roughly 13 civil marriages are finalised through the system during working hours.

The service is open to all foreign residents and visitors in the Emirate. Applications can be submitted online through the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department website, with options that include an "Express Service" for same-day marriage registration and linked tools for documenting prenuptial agreements as part of a single, coordinated process.

Estate planning services have also expanded quickly. The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court registered 11,000 civil wills in 2025 alone, more than doubling the 2024 figure. Over four years, total civil wills reached 21,000, reflecting increased awareness among foreigners of structured inheritance planning and the need for clear legal arrangements around assets.

Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court civil marriage civil wills civil divorce outcomes

The court’s digital environment supports these volumes by allowing marriage and will registrations to be completed remotely. Parties can use video conferencing, standardised legal forms in Arabic and English, and interest-free instalment plans for fees, without any requirement to appoint a law firm, which lowers procedural and cost barriers for applicants.

Civil divorce services also form part of the court’s work. In 2025, 640 civil divorce cases were handled under a "No-Fault Divorce" option for foreigners, where judgments may be issued in the first hearing, within 30 days from filing, while financial rights are reviewed by appointed accounting experts and joint custody of children is granted automatically, centred on children’s best interests.

Taken together, the recorded levels of civil marriages, wills, and divorces since 2021 show how the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has become a main channel for foreigners’ personal status matters in the Emirate, using a specialised legal framework, digital procedures, and structured protections for financial entitlements and child custody.

With inputs from WAM