u/gnsalamanca

Hi everyone,
I’m a Filipino expat currently living and working in the UAE, and I’m trying to understand what my options are for getting legally divorced/ending my marriage.
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has gone through a similar situation in the UAE, particularly Filipino expats or people who have dealt with UAE family courts.

Here’s my situation:
I’m a Filipino citizen and currently a UAE resident.
I have been legally married for around 12 years (marriage cert issued in Ph), but my spouse and I have been separated for approximately 12 years and have not been living together as husband and wife.
We have three children together.

The children are with my mom (1) and her (2), and I want to make sure their custody, support, and other legal issues are handled properly.

I currently work and reside in Dubai.

I am also in a long-term relationship with someone else, and we have been together for many years. I would eventually like to be able to legally marry my current partner.

The main obstacle is that my existing marriage has never been legally dissolved.
There is an annulment case in the Philippines, but it has been taking a very long time, so I am trying to understand whether there is any realistic way to obtain a divorce or otherwise legally dissolve the marriage through the UAE instead.

I am particularly interested in whether UAE courts can handle the case because I am a UAE resident, even though both spouses are Filipino citizens.

My questions are:
1.Can a Filipino expat who is a UAE resident file for divorce in the UAE?
2. Does the fact that we have been separated for around 12 years make any difference?
3. Can i still file with UAE court if I’m the only one living in the UAE?

4.What happens regarding the three children — custody, financial support, and parental rights?
5.Are there particular UAE family-law firms that specialize in expat/Filipino divorce cases that people have personally dealt with?
6.What documents should I start preparing?

I’m mainly trying to understand the actual legal route, expected timeline, approximate costs, and whether doing this in the UAE is realistically possible.
If anyone has been through something similar, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.
Thanks in advance

Hi everyone,
I’m a Filipino expat currently living and working in the UAE, and I’m trying to understand what my options are for getting legally divorced/ending my marriage.
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has gone through a similar situation in the UAE, particularly Filipino expats or people who have dealt with UAE family courts.

Here’s my situation:
I’m a Filipino citizen and currently a UAE resident.
I have been legally married for around 12 years (marriage cert issued in Ph), but my spouse and I have been separated for approximately 12 years and have not been living together as husband and wife.
We have three children together.

The children are with my mom (1) and her (2), and I want to make sure their custody, support, and other legal issues are handled properly.

I currently work and reside in Dubai.

I am also in a long-term relationship with someone else, and we have been together for many years. I would eventually like to be able to legally marry my current partner.

The main obstacle is that my existing marriage has never been legally dissolved.
There is an annulment case in the Philippines, but it has been taking a very long time, so I am trying to understand whether there is any realistic way to obtain a divorce or otherwise legally dissolve the marriage through the UAE instead.

I am particularly interested in whether UAE courts can handle the case because I am a UAE resident, even though both spouses are Filipino citizens.

My questions are:
1.Can a Filipino expat who is a UAE resident file for divorce in the UAE?
2. Does the fact that we have been separated for around 12 years make any difference?
3. Can i still file with UAE court if I’m the only one living in the UAE?

4.What happens regarding the three children — custody, financial support, and parental rights?
5.Are there particular UAE family-law firms that specialize in expat/Filipino divorce cases that people have personally dealt with?
6.What documents should I start preparing?

I’m mainly trying to understand the actual legal route, expected timeline, approximate costs, and whether doing this in the UAE is realistically possible.
If anyone has been through something similar, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.
Thanks in advance.