Tasleem Sayani

Tasleem is accustomed to advising clients of all nationalities and religions in relation to Wills, guardianship, administration of cross-border estates, and inheritance and succession matters within the region, as well as advising on foundation structures.

She is also experienced in advising clients on both Shari’ah-compliant and conventional inheritance and succession matters.

As a result of her standing in the local legal and private wealth community she is listed as a "leading individual" within Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law.

Tasleem is a well-regarded lawyer within the private wealth department. Being one of the first western qualified lawyers to deal with inheritance matters in the UAE (Shari'ah) Personal Status Court, Tasleem has substantial and unrivalled experience in assisting bereaved family members in administering estates consisting of UAE-based assets, within the local legal framework. Tasleem also deals with Probate matters through the DIFC Probate Registry as a DIFC Part-I registered practitioner and also advises on Probate matters being conducted through the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court and the newly constituted Dubai Inheritance Court.

As a result of her many years operating in the region and being widely regarded as a leading expert in her field, Tasleem has also forged strong relationships with many of the key local government bodies and authorities, such as the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the Dubai Economic Department (DED), and the Road Transport Authority (RTA).  These relationships and knowledge of their operations and key senior personnel have proved invaluable to her clients when representing beneficiaries and heirs to ensure a swift turnaround.

She also works closely with intermediaries such as local and international wealth managers, financial advisors and real estate professionals to advise their clients on legal aspects succession planning and estate administration. In addition, Tasleem is frequently invited by multinational companies to present to their personnel on key aspects of local inheritance laws and procedures.

Tasleem has gained an excellent reputation in the region as one of the go-to practitioners for local private client matters, whereby clients routinely praise Tasleem for her "broad knowledge of UAE law, and…dealing with international affairs. She is very personable and easy to work with."

She has significant experience in drafting various types of UAE wills, including DIFC wills for assets, guardianship, real estate and local companies, as well as wills for registration at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court and Judicial department and at the Dubail Notary Public. For Muslim clients, Tasleem advises on Shari'ah-compliant wills and Shariah guardianship matters.

A legal consultant licensed by the Dubai Legal Affairs Department, Tasleem was one of the founding members of the DIFC Wills Service Centre's (DIFC WSC) working group, and continues to be an active member, assisting the DIFC WSC with consultations on UAE Wills and inheritance-related matters. Tasleem is also the first named DIFC Wills Draftsman.

Tasleem is a Trusts and Estates Practitioner (TEP) as awarded by STEP and regularly speaks at the STEP regional conference.

Expertise