Divorce Season: Children, Finances and Jurisdiction for British Expats in Dubai | By Nama Zarroug, Director at Astraea Linskills

Date Posted:Wed, 21st Jan 2026

Each year, England and Wales experience a predictable rise in divorce filings during what practitioners refer to as “divorce season”, most notably in January and again following the summer period. For British expats living and working in Dubai, these seasonal patterns are believed to particularly intensified due to different working patterns and lengthier school holidays. International families are often exposed to complex jurisdictional and financial risk at the outset.

For many UK expats, the critical issue is where proceedings are issued first. England and Wales remain one of the most sophisticated and friendly jurisdictions globally for financial remedies, especially where there are substantial assets, business interests, trusts, or international income streams. Once proceedings are properly commenced in England or Wales, competing jurisdictions should generally excluded. Delaying the issuing proceedings can therefore risk irreversible consequences.

Where children are involved, early intervention is essential. Disputes can quickly arise concerning residence, schooling, travel, and potential relocation. If jurisdiction is accepted by the courts in England and Wales then a Child Arrangements Order made by the courts provides clarity and legal protection, regulating where a child lives and the nature of parental contact, preventing unilateral decisions that could otherwise give rise to international disputes. These issues are particularly sensitive in expat families and require careful, strategic handling.

Separation also necessitates a review of wills and succession planning. Divorce does not automatically revoke existing testamentary arrangements, and for internationally mobile families, outdated wills can produce unintended and costly consequences across jurisdictions. Coordinated advice ensures that succession planning, guardianship provisions, and asset protection remain aligned with post-separation objectives.

Astraea Linskills is a specialist firm of UK Solicitors and advises British expats in Dubai on UK divorce, financial remedy proceedings, child arrangements and associated private client matters such as Wills and Succession planning. We are experienced in advising professionals and high-net-worth individuals navigating the legal and strategic complexities of family breakdown across borders and we are supporting vulnerable and financially disadvantaged clients too. We are especially proud of our extensive experience acting for vulnerable spouses, victims of domestic violence, controlling and coercive behaviour including financial abuse and ensuring that protection, safety and dignity remain central to our work.

We are a UK practice that holds a Legal Aid Agency contract which enables eligible clients to access publicly funded representation for family proceedings where the statutory criteria is met. We firmly believe that access to high-quality legal advice and advocacy should not be determined by circumstance and that early intervention is critical in safeguarding both adults and children at risk.

As part of this work, Astraea Linskills is currently offering a free, confidential legal clinic in Dubai, with specialist cross-border international family law barristers from 5 St Andrew’s Hill, a leading London Barristers chambers. Appointments are limited and designed to provide focused, strategic advice on jurisdiction, financial exposure and children issues.

For British expats in Dubai, divorce season means early, specialist advice can be decisive in protecting both family interests and long-term financial security.

The Astraea Linskills Family Law clinic will offer free, confidential and individually tailored legal advice by way of one-to-one appointments with a specialist Solicitor or Barrister in the heart of downtown Dubai during the week of 09 February 2026.

Meetings are strictly by appointment only. To request a confidential consultation, please contact: [email protected]

Author: Nama Zarroug, Director at Astraea Linskills