A common misconception among UAE expat couples is that one will covers both partners. It doesn't. A will is a personal document that can only cover your own assets, not your spouse's. If you both have UAE assets, you each need a separately registered will.
What Is a Mirror Will?
Mirror wills are two separate wills, one for each partner, that mirror each other in structure. Typically, each partner leaves their estate to the other, with the same contingent beneficiaries (usually children or other family members) if the primary beneficiary dies first.
They are registered simultaneously, often at the same appointment, and are usually more cost-effective than two individual wills registered separately.
When Mirror Wills Make Sense
- Both partners want to leave everything to each other
- You have the same contingent beneficiaries (e.g. your children)
- Your asset situations are broadly similar
- You want to complete the process together at one appointment
When Individual Wills Are Better
- One partner has significantly more complex assets (business interests, trusts)
- You have different beneficiaries or want different distributions
- One partner has children from a previous relationship
- Your estate planning goals are materially different
OwnX Mirror Wills are AED 1,149 for both. Once prepared, both wills can be registered together at one appointment.
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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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