Wills
DIFC vs Abu Dhabi Wills: Which Register Applies to You
These are the two registered-will routes expats ask about most, and they are not alternatives so much as answers to different questions. What you own, and where, decides it more than preference does.
Who is allowed to use each
The DIFC Courts Wills Service is open to non-Muslims who have never been Muslim. That is a hard eligibility rule, not a guideline, and it is the first thing to check.
The Abu Dhabi (ADJD) route is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. If Sharia succession applies to you, there is also a Shariah-compliant route that is drafted around the fixed shares rather than against them.
What each one covers
A DIFC will covers assets in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. An Abu Dhabi will covers Abu Dhabi. That is the whole of the difference that matters to most people, and it is why somebody with a flat in Dubai and a plot in Abu Dhabi quite normally registers in both places.
Language, and why it changes the work
A DIFC will is drafted and registered in English, and needs no translation. An Abu Dhabi will is registered in Arabic, so a certified legal translation is part of the job.
That is not just a cost difference. A translated will is a will somebody has to read back carefully in both languages before it is signed, which is a step worth not rushing.
Cost
The registry fees are different and they are the bigger number: the DIFC Courts charge AED 10,000 for one person and AED 15,000 for a couple, while the ADJD fee is AED 950 per person and AED 1,900 for a couple. Both are set by the authority and passed through at cost.
Our own fee differs too, and both are on the price list. Read the two together: the cheaper drafting fee is not always the cheaper will.
Can you have both?
Yes, and plenty of people do. The two wills are written so they do not contradict each other, each naming the assets its own register governs. If you also own property abroad, an offshore will is the third piece, for the same reason.
Which one should you choose
Start from the assets, not the register. If everything you own in the UAE is in Dubai and you are eligible, the DIFC route is usually the simplest, because it is in English. If you hold anything in Abu Dhabi, you need the ADJD route for it whatever else you do.
If you are not sure, tell us what you own and where and we will say which registers your situation actually needs - including when the answer is only one.