Ask Gulf News: Can a mother claim custody and alimony for a 17-year-old under the UAE Personal Status Law?

Question: I am a Muslim woman who has been divorced for two years, and I have a 17-and-a-half-year-old daughter. She lives with me, and her father does not pay any financial support. My question is: under the new Personal Status Law, do I have the right to claim custody of my daughter and request monthly alimony, accommodation, and school expenses?

Answer: Custody has been extended for both girls and boys until the age of 18, according to Article 123 of Federal Decree-Law No. (41) of 2024 on the Issuance of the Personal Status Law, which states that “Custody ends when the child reaches the age of (18) eighteen Gregorian years.”

Therefore, you have the right to file a case for custody, as your daughter has not yet reached the age of 18. This is subject to the custodian meeting certain conditions under Article 113 of the same law, including but not limited to: being of sound mind, free from infectious or dangerous diseases, not having been previously convicted of a sexual offence, and not being addicted to drugs, psychotropic substances, or alcohol.

You also have the right to request monthly alimony, accommodation, and school costs under Article 106 of the same law, which states that “The maintenance of a young child who has no money is the responsibility of his father until the girl marries or works, and until the boy reaches the age at which his peers can earn a living, unless he is a student who continues his studies with usual success in accordance with custom and in accordance with what the court estimates.”