French expatriate couples: protecting your assets before it is too late

Many couples move to the UAE without considering their matrimonial property regime. Yet a change of residence may affect the law governing their assets, depending on when they married and on their circumstances.

For spouses married since 29 January 2019, the EU Regulation on matrimonial property regimes allows them to choose the applicable law, in particular the law of either spouse's nationality. Older marriages follow different rules, sometimes with unexpected consequences.

An informed choice of law or adjustment of the regime brings security and predictability.

The EU Succession Regulation allows a person to choose the law of their nationality to govern their estate. For a French national living in the UAE, this choice — made in a will — can spare loved ones a great deal of uncertainty.

Assets located in the UAE are also subject to local rules and formalities that must be taken into account.

A main home in France, an investment in Dubai, accounts in different countries: each asset may fall under a different legal regime. A clear map of your assets is the starting point of any strategy.

It is always easier to organise your assets calmly than to defend them in a dispute. A preventive consultation lays the first foundations, in coordination where necessary with the relevant notaries and advisers.