The cost of registering a will in Dubai varies enormously depending on how you approach it. A law firm may charge AED 5,000–15,000 for the same legal outcome that an online platform provides for under AED 2,000 all-in. Understanding what each fee covers helps you make the right choice.
ADJD Will: Full Cost Breakdown
The ADJD system involves two separate costs: the service provider fee (for drafting, translation, and coordination) and the ADJD government registration fee.
- OwnX service fee (individual will): AED 749
- OwnX service fee (mirror wills, couple): AED 1,149
- ADJD government registration fee: AED 950 per will (paid directly at registration)
- Total, individual will: approximately AED 1,699
- Total, mirror wills: approximately AED 3,399 (AED 1,149 + AED 1,900 ADJD fees)
DIFC Will: Full Cost Breakdown
DIFC will registration fees are set by the DIFC Wills Service Centre and are significantly higher than ADJD fees. These are in addition to any legal drafting fees.
- DIFC Full Will (covering all UAE assets): AED 10,000 registration fee
- DIFC Property Will (covering Dubai real estate only): AED 5,000
- DIFC Financial Assets Will: AED 3,600
- DIFC Guardianship Will: AED 3,600
- Legal drafting fees on top: AED 2,000–8,000 depending on the firm
- Total for a DIFC Full Will with drafting: typically AED 12,000–18,000
Law Firm (Traditional Route)
Going directly to a UAE law firm is the most expensive route. Firms charge for the lawyer's time to draft the will, the Arabic translation, coordination of the registration appointment, and their own fee for attending. Rates vary by firm and will complexity.
- Simple individual will: AED 4,000–8,000 (excluding registration fee)
- Mirror wills for a couple: AED 7,000–15,000 (excluding registration fees)
- Complex estates with multiple asset types: AED 15,000–30,000+
- ADJD registration fee on top: AED 950 per will
Law firm fees are for legal advice and drafting. For straightforward estates, an online service produces the same registered outcome at a fraction of the cost.
What Drives Up the Cost?
- Complex assets: properties in multiple Emirates, business interests, trust structures
- Multiple beneficiaries with unequal distributions and detailed conditions
- Non-resident status (may require additional notarisation or apostille steps)
- Urgent turnaround requirements
- Amendments to a previously registered will (typically a new will must be registered)
Is the Cheapest Option Safe?
A lower price is not a sign of lower quality, it reflects a more efficient process. OwnX uses a structured, expert-reviewed questionnaire system that produces the same registered output as a law firm, at a fraction of the cost. The registration itself is done by the same government authority regardless of who prepared the document.
The important thing is that the will is correctly drafted, properly translated (where required), and formally registered. A will that ticks all three boxes is enforceable, regardless of what it cost to prepare.
Individual will from AED 749. Mirror wills from AED 1,149. Fully registered and legally enforceable across the UAE, under ADJD, DIFC, or Dubai Courts.
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Aanchal Adhikari (Advocate, LL.B., LL.M. (Cand.))
Senior Specialist & UAE Estate Planning Advocate
Aanchal Adhikari is a Nepal-licensed Advocate with 4+ years of legal practice, specialized in ADJD Wills, DIFC wills, and UAE inheritance. She has drafted and overseen 800+ ADJD Wills in the UAE and is currently pursuing an LL.M. at Middlesex University Dubai.
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