Ras Al Khaimah Courts Department - Dafan Headquarters

No, individuals may file civil and commercial claims of any value in person without a lawyer. However, for claims exceeding AED 500,000 or matters before the Court of Cassation, legal representation is strongly recommended because the procedural rules and pleading standards become technical. Family and personal status cases can be filed in person and the family guidance section provides free preliminary advice. The court does not provide a legal-aid scheme equivalent to public defenders; pro bono lawyers can be located through the RAK Bar. UAE PASS authentication on the courts.rak.ae portal allows self-represented litigants to file most routine matters fully online.

Yes. The on-site Notary Public has translators available throughout working hours who read the power of attorney aloud in English, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, French and other languages on request. The document itself must be drafted in Arabic or in a bilingual Arabic-English template. Fee is AED 220 for a specific power of attorney and AED 330 for a general power. Bring the original Emirates ID and passport, and the recipient's full name as it appears on official documents. The Notary may decline wording that conflicts with UAE public-policy rules.

Ras Al Khaimah Courts launched remote hearings in 2020 through the courts.rak.ae portal. Litigants and lawyers receive an email with a secure link 48 hours before the hearing. The portal supports video and audio sessions with built-in Arabic-English interpretation on request. Documents can be submitted live during the hearing through the portal's evidence upload feature. Remote hearings are permitted for all civil and commercial cases; family and criminal cases generally require physical attendance unless the judge specifically authorises remote presence.

Ramadan hours shift to 09:30-14:00 from Sunday to Thursday, with the courts closed Friday and Saturday. Counter ticket dispensers stop 30 minutes before close to allow staff to clear the queue before Iftar. Hearings during Ramadan are scheduled between 10:00 and 13:00 and chamber deliberations occur in the afternoon. The Notary Public follows the same hours but reduces capacity. The RAK Courts Department publishes the final Ramadan schedule on courts.rak.ae and on its official X account at the start of each holy month.

Not directly. Labour disputes between employers and employees must first be referred to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) for amicable conciliation. If conciliation fails, MOHRE issues a referral letter authorising the worker or employer to file the case at the Court of First Instance. The court fee is waived for workers whose monthly salary is below AED 100,000. Bring the MOHRE referral, employment contract, salary slips for the disputed period, and any termination notice. Typical hearing schedule is 30-45 days from filing.

Routine civil claims at the Court of First Instance typically receive a first-instance judgment within 3-6 months. Cases involving expert reports (such as construction defects or accounting reviews) take 6-12 months because the appointed expert needs time to investigate and file findings. Appeals to the Court of Appeal add 2-4 months. Cassation review at the Court of Cassation, available where the value exceeds AED 200,000 or where a question of law is raised, adds another 4-8 months. Execution of a final judgment runs in parallel with any appeal.

RAK Courts notarise wills for Muslims under Sharia and accept the registration of non-Muslim wills through a formal referral to the DIFC Wills Service Centre, with which RAK Courts has a cooperation protocol. The referral fee is AED 950 and the actual DIFC registration fee of AED 10,000 is paid separately. The will then governs the testator's UAE-based assets under common-law principles. Non-Muslim testators may alternatively use the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's Non-Muslim Wills Office, which RAK Courts can also refer cases to.

Good-conduct certificates for RAK residents are issued by RAK Police rather than RAK Courts. The Courts Department issues a related no-criminal-record certificate confirming the absence of pending criminal cases against the applicant before the RAK judiciary; this is sometimes requested by foreign employers and consulates. The fee is AED 200 and the certificate is delivered electronically within 24 hours. Applicants need original Emirates ID and a stated purpose (employment, immigration, family). The certificate is valid for three months from issuance.

Yes. Inheritance cases for Muslims are filed at the personal status section of the Court of First Instance and adjudicated under Sharia using the federal Personal Status Law. The court issues a Sharia inheritance certificate listing heirs and their shares, which is then used to transfer assets such as bank accounts, property and shares. Non-Muslim heirs apply the law of the deceased's nationality if elected during life through a DIFC or Abu Dhabi will; otherwise Sharia rules apply by default. The court fee for inheritance is approximately AED 600 plus AED 200 for certificate issuance.

Court fees are paid in advance through the courts.rak.ae e-portal using card, Apple Pay or UAE bank transfer; the system issues a receipt with a barcode that must accompany the filing. Counter cash payments are no longer accepted as of 2023. The on-site Mashreq cash desk handles bank transfer slips for clients without online banking. Fees that exceed AED 100,000 (large commercial cases) can be split into two instalments at the Chief Justice's discretion.

Documents originating from RAK requiring use abroad follow a two-step attestation chain. First, RAK Courts attests the document for AED 150 confirming the signatory's identity and any underlying notarisation. Second, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office at Khalifa City Abu Dhabi or the MOFA Sharjah office issues the federal seal and, where the destination is a Hague Apostille country, the Apostille certificate (AED 150). Documents destined for non-Apostille countries (such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China and India for some categories) require additional consular legalisation at the destination embassy in the UAE. RAK Courts can refer the client to the appropriate embassy desk.

RAK Courts at Dafan is the full judicial system - Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation - hearing civil, commercial, family, criminal and labour cases of any value, with judgments fully enforceable across the UAE and recognised internationally. The RAK Conciliation Centre at Khuzam is a separate mediation-first body created in 2018 to fast-track small disputes valued under AED 50,000 with a 30-day target settlement. If parties reach a conciliation agreement, the Centre issues a binding settlement order recognised by RAK Courts for execution; if conciliation fails, the file is referred to Dafan for full judicial review. The Conciliation Centre operates a separate fee schedule starting at AED 100 and is generally faster but more limited in remedies available.

If you need a Notary urgently outside RAK Courts opening hours, the Sharjah Notary Public at Buhairah Corniche and the Ajman Civil Court Notary at the Ajman Court complex serve as cross-emirate alternatives - all UAE Notaries Public mutually recognise each other's seals so documents notarised at Sharjah or Ajman are fully valid for RAK use. The Dubai Notary Public at the Dubai Courts complex offers extended hours including Saturday morning for urgent matters. For pure online powers of attorney, the federal Notary Public e-service through courts.rak.ae allows remote notarisation via UAE PASS video verification - available 24/7 and accepted for most administrative purposes including bank instructions and property transactions.