Father ordered to pay Dh227,500 in annual maintenance and an additional Dh31,000 in one-off payments.
Ras Al Khaimah: A Ras Al Khaimah court has granted a 43-year-old mother a second divorce from her 55-year-old husband, awarded her custody of their 10 children and ordered the father to pay Dh227,500 annually towards child maintenance and living expenses, along with Dh31,000 in one-time payments.
The ruling puts the father’s initial financial liability at Dh258,500. His annual payments will cover the children’s accommodation, utility bills, school fees, transport, domestic help, Eid clothing and other essential expenses.
The court also granted the mother educational guardianship, authorising her to oversee the children’s schooling, including enrolment and transfers. The father was also ordered to hand over their passports, Emirates IDs, birth certificates and health insurance cards.
The couple have 10 children — five boys and five girls — aged 13, 12, 11, nine, eight, six, five, three, two and one.
The mother had also cared for her husband’s five children from his previous marriage, aged 31, 29, 27, 25 and 18, who lived with the family.
Court records show that the woman left her teaching job to focus on raising the children and managing the household, which at one point included as many as 15 children.
Second divorce after brief reconciliation
The latest case followed the breakdown of a 12-year marriage that had previously ended in divorce before the couple briefly reunited.
The wife initially approached the Personal Status Court, citing years of mistreatment and hardship. She told the court that her husband had repeatedly promised to divorce her but failed to act, leaving her convinced that the marriage could no longer continue.
The court granted her an irrevocable divorce on February 16, 2026. The decision was upheld on appeal on April 7 and became final on May 14.
The couple reconciled the following day after the husband promised to change his behaviour and improve his treatment of her.
However, the reconciliation lasted only two months. On July 15, the wife returned to court seeking a second judicial divorce, alleging that her husband had reverted to his previous behaviour and that the issues behind their first separation remained unresolved.
Wife alleges abuse and financial neglect
In her second case, the woman described years of emotional and psychological distress, accusing her husband of repeated verbal abuse, humiliation and physical aggression, including pushing her in front of their children.
She also alleged that he restricted her movements and prevented her from visiting her family. According to her account, after her brother died in June 2026, her husband stopped her from visiting her grieving mother or staying with her family.
Financial neglect was another key part of her allegations. The woman claimed that while she was working as a teacher, her husband took control of her salary without her consent. After she left her job to raise their children, she said he stopped providing her with a personal allowance.
She further alleged that he failed to meet the family’s financial needs despite earning a substantial monthly income. She also accused him of not fulfilling the financial commitments outlined in their new marriage contract, including payment of the agreed Dh5,000 dowry.
The woman also alleged that her husband mistreated their young son and refused to cover the cost of her medical treatment and medication after she developed health complications following the birth of their 10th child.
She told the court that she had been denied necessary medical treatment because it could affect her ability to have more children.
The wife said the cumulative physical, psychological and financial strain had made it impossible for her to continue the marriage.
Husband contests divorce and seeks custody
The husband opposed the divorce, telling the court that he wanted to save the marriage for the sake of their children. He challenged some of the evidence presented by his wife and filed a counterclaim seeking custody of all 10 children.
The woman, represented by lawyer Hanan Salem Al Shimili, submitted WhatsApp conversations, medical records and financial documents to support her allegations.
Her lawyer later amended the claim, seeking a judicial divorce, custody of the children, educational guardianship and financial support, arguing that the marriage had become untenable.
After reviewing the evidence, the court granted the second judicial divorce despite the husband’s objections.
As part of the proceedings, the wife waived her personal financial entitlements, including her deferred dowry and certain post-divorce payments. However, the court clarified that this waiver did not affect the children’s independent legal rights to maintenance, care and financial support.
The custody committee confirmed that the mother met the legal requirements for custody, and the court dismissed the father’s custody claim. It also granted her educational guardianship, authorising her to manage school enrolments, transfers and dealings with education authorities.
The father was ordered to hand over the children’s passports, Emirates IDs, birth certificates and health insurance cards. He was also directed to pay the legal costs and attorney fees.
