Protecting a High-Net-Worth Client’s Estate in a Cross-Border Divorce

George represented a Dubai-based high-net-worth individual in divorce proceedings involving competing claims over the law applicable to the dissolution of the marriage and its financial consequences. The client, an Irish national, sought a civil divorce in the UAE under Federal Decree-Law Number 41 of 2022 on Civil Personal Status. His former spouse, a Portuguese national, argued that the law of the State of Nevada, where the marriage had taken place, should instead apply. Her position would have exposed the client’s estate to a claim for equal division. George developed and pursued the case through the Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation. The UAE courts ultimately applied the UAE civil personal status framework, granted the divorce and ordered only limited monthly spousal maintenance. The client’s assets were not divided as sought by the opposing party, preserving a substantial private estate.