In this episode of Lawgical, Ludmila Yamalova examines mental health at work in the UAE, focusing on private-sector employment governed by the federal Labour Law. She explains the overlapping employment, healthcare, privacy and criminal laws that shape these issues, and discusses the distinction between an employer’s interest in fitness for work and an employee’s private medical information.

Drawing on examples from legal practice, Ludmila discusses extended stress leave, medical explanations for performance concerns, the sharing of psychiatric information at work, and the different requirements that apply when medical fitness is a condition of professional licensing.

Topics Discussed

• What mental health means, including the distinction between everyday usage and the Mental Health Law’s protection of psychiatric patients.
• The scope of the federal Labour Law and the separate employment frameworks for DIFC, ADGM, government employees and domestic workers.
• Sick leave entitlements, medical documentation and Dubai Health Authority certificate procedures.
• Confidentiality under mental health, medical liability, health information, data protection and criminal legislation.
• When mental health becomes relevant to attendance, performance, conduct and requests for flexibility.
• Termination with notice, dismissal without notice, discrimination and medical unfitness.
• Medical fitness and disclosure requirements in aviation and other regulated roles.
• Practical responsibilities for employees, employers and managers handling medical information.
• Seven workplace scenarios illustrating how these issues can arise.

In this episode of Lawgical, Ludmila Yamalova explains the UAE’s evolving surrogacy framework, Abu Dhabi’s operational pathway, and the legal and financial considerations intended parents should understand before proceeding. The discussion covers:

• Gestational versus traditional surrogacy and restrictions on donor eggs and sperm.
• Eligibility requirements for intended parents and surrogates.
• Abu Dhabi’s approval process, treatment requirements, and birth registration.
• The position in Dubai and other emirates.
• Parentage, custody, inheritance, nationality, and recognition abroad.
• Agency fees, surrogate compensation, insurance, and contractual risks.
• Anonymity, lifestyle restrictions, and the limits of contractual control.
• Moving embryos across borders and pursuing surrogacy abroad.

The episode also compares birth-registration approaches in other jurisdictions and explains why careful documentation and legal advice matter from the outset.

Find more legal insights at lylawyers.com. Listen to Lawgical on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the video podcast on YouTube.

Drawing on practical examples and court cases, Ludmila discusses:

• The different layers of UAE and Dubai laws governing real estate brokerage.
• Licensing requirements and the consequences of unlicensed brokerage.
• Disclosure duties, conflicts of interest, and representing one or both parties.
• RERA Forms A, B, F, I, and U, and the importance of written brokerage agreements.
• Commission entitlement, payment terms, and disputes when transactions fall through.
• How MOUs, booking forms, emails, and WhatsApp messages can form part of a contractual arrangement.
• Property advertising permits, QR codes, and social media requirements.
• Due diligence before marketing or investing in off-plan properties.
• Agents’ responsibilities when holding deposit cheques and handling payment instructions.
• Brokerage liability, employment disputes, and where complaints may be resolved.
• Anti-money laundering obligations, third-party payments, and crypto transactions.

Whether you are an agent, buyer, seller, or investor, this episode explains why understanding the rules matters, and how compliance helps protect both individual transactions and confidence in Dubai’s real estate market.

Find more legal insights at lylawyers.com. Listen to Lawgical on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the video podcast on YouTube.

The episode also explores the roles of owners’ committees, management companies, developers, the Dubai Land Department and RERA. It considers recurring concerns involving service charges, access to financial records, conflicts of interest, management-company performance and the limited legal standing currently available to owners’ committees. Topics covered include:

• What constitutes jointly owned property in Dubai
• Ownership of common areas and undivided shares
• The hierarchy of federal and Dubai real estate laws
• The relevance of the Eight Principles of Dubai
• The roles of the Dubai Land Department and RERA
• The rights and responsibilities of property owners
• The function and limitations of owners’ committees
• The role of developers following property handover
• Service charges, audited budgets and segregated accounts
• Conflicts of interest involving management companies
• The process for replacing a management company
• The jurisdiction of the Rental Disputes Center
• Complaints involving government authorities
• The legal remedies available when owners’ concerns remain unresolved

The central principle is that owners hold genuine interests in the common parts of their communities and should be able to manage those interests collectively. Management companies act as service providers, while regulators and legal procedures are intended to protect property ownership, investor confidence and the integrity of Dubai’s real estate market.