PRIVATE CLIENTS
Services
Wills
To ensure that you have full control over your assets even after your death, it is advisable that you get a consultant to help you write a comprehensive and airtight will to declare your intentions as regards your assets and properties. Our Will consultants can pass on and fulfill your after-death wishes from your will which contains which individuals, family members or institutions you want to bequeath your assets, money, investments, belongings, and properties to. Wills also allow you to specify who you want to serve as guardians to your children temporarily or permanently as well as the kind of funeral arrangements you want.
UAE Asset Wills
With UAE laws that adhere to Sharia law when there is no will, there is no question that clients prefer to rely on us to make their wills. This is because most times, the distribution of assets in line with the Sharia law differs from the wishes and intentions of clients. Apart from the fact that the Sharia-law based distribution of your assets takes several months to execute, your assets (personal or joint assets) and bank accounts will be frozen till all your liabilities have been discharged. Dubai also doesn’t recognize the survivorship rule which ensures the direct transfer of joint assets to the remaining partner. If you don’t make a will before you die, Sharia law also dictates who your business interests, shares and investments in mainland or free-zone companies end up with.
Sharia law also applies to the guardianship of your children and in the case of a deceased father without a will, his children’s mother(s) have no entitlement to the legal guardianship of their children. Therefore, in order to protect your assets, properties, business interests as well as your family, the importance of having an official will cannot be overemphasized.
The Dubai International Financial Centre Wills and Probate Registry
This DIFC registry is only applicable to non-Muslims and ensures that Sharia law is inapplicable to their assets in the UAE. Since the uncertainty of asset ownership in the event of death has hindered a lot of possible investment in the region, the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry was opened with aim of giving non-Muslim expatriates the certainty that their assets would be distributed according to their wishes in the event of their death even when they invest in the United Arab Emirates.
To ensure the lack of uncertainty or possible lengthy court proceedings, DIFC Wills and Probate registry works with other government departments like the land and economic development to ensure that DIFC registered wills are binding and enforced.
Wills for business owners
Upon the death of business owners without a will, their businesses may suffer losses due to the lengthy processing of the Sharia law. This is because company shares are subject to probate after a shareholders’ death and the survivorship rule does not apply. As such, during the period where business owners’ assets are frozen, the business operations are bound to suffer. We have Will consultants who work closely with other specialized consultants to handle the inheritance and succession plans of a business owner as well as the transfer of business assets. Our consultants can work out the best solution for your business protection during the preparation of your will.
Wills For UK And US Assets
We have qualified consultants who can help clients who are UK or US citizens working or living in the UAE as well as UAE clients who own assets in the UK to prepare a suitable will in compliance to the laws in the UAE, England and Wales.
Outsourcing
Many small and large businesses choose to outsource some of their business functions and activities to other B2B and B2C companies and businesses in the world. Most times, outsourcing is done to ensure high-quality products and services, better efficiency of business functions and to minimize costs.
However, in the process of finding the right service provider to outsource to and reaching an agreement especially when collaborations are done cross-border, legal guidance is needed. At BridgePoint, we have experienced consultants with technical expertise to help our clients choose the right service provider who has the resources and is legally compliant with business jurisdiction rules and regulations. We also advise our clients on their performance incentive and reward agreements with the companies or businesses they work with. We also provide advisory services to clients in different industries such as the banking and finance industry, healthcare, tourism, hotel, leisure, manufacturing, and other industries that may need to outsource on function or the other in their company or organization.
Support Services
Clients rely on us to complete the attestation, interpretation, and legalization of various documents in the UAE and in the region. Our consultants help clients to ensure that their papers and documents are compliant with the legal regulatory requirements of their intended purpose.
We assist clients to draft their general and business bilingual documents in the UAE. We help with Power of Attorney attestation, legal translation, legal interpretation, consultation and certification of copies of original documents as well as other advisory services.