Family matters and the administration and division of estates, handled with discretion.
The firm advises and represents clients in family matters and in the administration and division of estates, including inheritance declarations, the inventory and valuation of assets, and the resolution of disputes among heirs.
These matters combine legal precision with sensitivity. The firm handles them with strict confidentiality, seeking agreed solutions where possible and firm representation before the courts where necessary.
Family matters in Qatar are governed by the Family Law (Law No. 22 of 2006), which deals with marriage and its effects, maintenance, divorce and separation, custody and visitation, parentage and guardianship, together with wills and the shares of heirs. Proceedings are brought before the family courts, and the court will normally attempt reconciliation before it decides.
How we help
- Inheritance declarations and estate inventory
- Division of estates among heirs
- Wills and estate arrangements
- Family disputes and settlements
- Guardianship and related applications
- Representation before the family courts
In Qatar
Estates are handled through a distinct procedural route. Law No. 4 of 2023 on the procedures for the division of estates governs the steps: establishing who the heirs are, inventorying what the deceased owned and owed, settling the liabilities, and then dividing the remainder either by agreement among the heirs or by order of the court where agreement cannot be reached.
The sequence matters more than families expect. An estate cannot be divided before the heirs are established and the liabilities are known, and a bank, a land registry or a company registrar will not act on the estate until the court documents are in the form each of them requires. Attempting to divide first and document afterwards is the most common reason an estate stalls for months.
Where assets sit outside Qatar, each jurisdiction applies its own rules to property located there. The firm advises on the Qatari position and coordinates with counsel qualified in the other jurisdiction rather than opining on foreign law itself.