A New Law in Dubai Will Let Children Select Their Parent in Divorce

A report released on Sunday states that children will soon be able to select their guardian after a divorce.
 

A report in the Arabic daily Al Bayan quoted Ahmad Abdul Kareem, head of the family reconciliation and guidance section at the Dubai Courts and chairman of the Custody Committee in the emirate, as saying that a law is about to be issued to allow children of legal age (15 years old for boys and 18 for girls) to choose whom they want to stay with — either their mother or their father.

Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Judicial Council Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued Decree No. 7 of 2022, which established the Custody Committee, a part of the Dubai Courts, in April 2022.
 

Ahmed Abdul Kareem, speaking to the daily, stated that 32 eligibility reports on the social, psychological, physical, and legal status of those requesting custody have been completed since the committee's official start of operations in August 2022.

• Procedure for issuing custody for the child

According to Abdul Kareem, who explained the present procedure, issuing a custody eligibility report begins with the court requesting a report from the committee on the suitability of the guardian for custody.
 

After that, a field visit to the application is conducted by a member of the specialized committee from the Community Development Authority's Child Protection Unit in order to assess the applicant's family, social, and economic conditions as well as his or her capacity to meet the child's needs in terms of housing, education, and healthcare. It also guarantees that anyone requesting custody is clear of any illnesses that could endanger the child.

The custody committee makes decisions based on a majority of the votes, and in the scenario of a tie, the chairman's vote, which counts for two votes, is taken into consideration.
 

The law currently prohibits the court or the custody committee from letting the kids pick between their mother and father for custody. It was also emphasized by Abdul Kareem that parents should respect their children's wants and interests and keep them out of divorce-related arguments.

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