Dubai. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts saw 463 cases in the first half of 2019, up 25 per cent year-on-year, with the number of cases from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) specifically, rising.

The main Court of First Instance saw cases worth a total of Dh2 billion. The first half of the year also saw an increase in the number of enforcement cases, where DIFC Courts had to collect on money judgments.

In terms of wills, 549 wills were registered at the DIFC Courts in the first six months, bringing the total since the launch of this service to over 5,160, with more than 85 lawyers representing more than 80 law firms registered as Wills Draftsmen.

In July 2019, the DIFC Courts announced changes to the rules of wills registrations, which will now accommodate all resident and investor assets across the Emirates, as well as assets held outside the UAE.