How to File a Case in Ajman Court?

Ajman Court: How to File, Pay Fees, and Track Your Case

If you're dealing with a dispute in Ajman — unpaid invoice, rental fight, divorce, traffic fine — the Ajman Court is where it lands. Here's what you actually need to know before you walk in or log on.

Quick answer

The Ajman Court system sits under the federal judiciary and handles civil, commercial, criminal, family, and labour matters through Courts of First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation. You can file most cases online via the Ministry of Justice e-services portal or in person at the Ajman Court complex on Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Street. Civil claim fees run from 6% of the claim value (capped at AED 40,000) for cases above AED 500,000, with lower percentages for smaller claims. Most first-instance civil judgments come within 3-6 months.

Which Ajman court do you actually need?

Ajman Court is part of the UAE Federal Judiciary, not a standalone emirate system like Dubai or Ras Al Khaimah. That matters because the Federal Law No. 10 of 2019 on Federal Judicial Authority governs procedure, and appeals can go up to the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi.^[1]

Three tiers handle your case:

• Court of First Instance — civil, commercial, labour, personal status, criminal, and administrative chambers
• Court of Appeal — you have 30 days from judgment to appeal in most civil matters
• Court of Cassation — final review, points of law only

Small civil claims under AED 50,000 go to a single judge. Above that, a three-judge panel. Family and inheritance matters route to the Personal Status Court inside the same building.

Frankly, most clients get the venue wrong on the first try. If your contract has a Dubai or DIFC jurisdiction clause, the Ajman Court will likely refuse the case — check the contract before filing.

Filing a case: online or in person

The fastest route is the Ministry of Justice (MOJ — the federal ministry that runs Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman courts) e-services portal at moj.gov.ae. You'll need a UAE Pass account, the defendant's Emirates ID or trade licence, your evidence bundle in PDF, and an Arabic translation of any non-Arabic documents from a Ministry-licensed legal translator.

For in-person filing, the main Ajman Court building is on Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Street, near the Ajman Ruler's Court. Service desks open Monday to Friday, roughly 7:30am to 2:30pm.

Watch out: Every document submitted in Arabic. No exceptions. A WhatsApp screenshot in English without certified translation gets your evidence rejected at the case management stage. Budget AED 80-150 per page for legal translation.

After filing, the case management office assigns a case number within 1-2 working days and schedules the first hearing — usually 2-4 weeks out. The defendant gets served by the court bailiff or via SMS and registered email under the 2018 amendments to the Civil Procedure Law.^[2]

What it costs

Civil claim fees at Ajman Court follow Cabinet Decision No. 57 of 2018 on the Regulation of Federal Judicial Fees:^[3]

• Claims up to AED 100,000: 6% of claim value, minimum AED 500
• Claims AED 100,001 to AED 500,000: 6%, capped within bands
• Claims above AED 500,000: maximum fee AED 40,000
• Appeal: half the first-instance fee, capped at AED 20,000
• Cassation: AED 4,000 plus a refundable AED 5,000 security deposit

Add execution fees if you win: 5% of the judgment amount, capped at AED 30,000, payable when you apply to enforce. Labour cases filed by employees are exempt from court fees up to AED 100,000 — a real advantage if you're chasing unpaid wages.

Costs to budget: Filing fee + translation (AED 80-150/page) + lawyer fees (AED 15,000-50,000 for a straightforward civil matter) + expert fees if the court appoints one (AED 5,000-25,000).

Tracking your case and getting the judgment

Once you have a case number, track everything through the MOJ smart app or the portal. You'll see hearing dates, memoranda exchanged, expert reports filed, and the eventual judgment. SMS notifications go to the mobile number you registered.

Hearings at Ajman Court are short — often 5-10 minutes — and mostly procedural. The judge sets memoranda deadlines (usually 1-2 weeks each), and the real work happens in writing. Don't expect dramatic oral arguments. That's not how it works here.

Judgments are issued in writing, typically 2-4 weeks after the final hearing. You'll get the operative part first, then the reasoned judgment. The 30-day appeal clock starts from the date of notification of the reasoned judgment, not the operative part — get this wrong and you lose your appeal right.

In my experience, a clean civil debt claim with documented evidence wraps up at first instance in 3-6 months. Add 4-8 months if the other side appeals. Family matters take longer, especially if there's a mandatory mediation referral to the Family Guidance Section first.

Enforcement: winning is half the battle

A judgment alone doesn't get you paid. You file an execution case (a separate matter, separate fee) at the Ajman Court Execution Department. Once registered, the court issues a payment order giving the debtor 15 days to pay voluntarily.

After that, you can ask the court to:

• Freeze bank accounts (the court queries the Central Bank's UAEFTS system)
• Place a travel ban on the debtor
• Attach property, vehicles, or trade licence shares
• Garnish salary through WPS (Wage Protection System — the federal payroll monitoring system run by MOHRE)

Travel bans are powerful but not automatic — you have to ask, and the judge weighs proportionality. For debts under AED 10,000, expect pushback.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

Citations

^[1] Federal Law No. 10 of 2019 on the Regulation of the Federal Judicial Authority — UAE Ministry of Justice, moj.gov.ae

^[2] Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2014 amending the Civil Procedure Law (electronic service provisions) — UAE Official Gazette

^[3] Cabinet Decision No. 57 of 2018 on the Regulation of Fees and Service Charges of the Federal Judiciary — UAE Ministry of Justice published fee schedule, moj.gov.ae