Woman granted divorce after husband publicly accuses her of cheating

Court orders man to pay Dh5,000 a month for the upkeep of their daughter

The woman's lawyer said her former husband would make disparaging remarks about her to his daughter and in-laws. Getty

A woman in Dubai has been granted a divorce after her husband of 15 years repeatedly accused her of cheating on him in front of their teenage daughter.

The woman, 37, initiated proceedings after she felt that she could not take it any more.

The court heard that the man had stopped providing for his family over the past two years and did not pay his share of the mortgage instalments or their daughter's school fees.

“He shamed my client in front of her daughter and parents,” the woman’s Emirati lawyer Mohammed Al Najar said. “When she asked for divorce, he defamed her among her workmates and advised them to abandon her.”

WhatsApp voice messages of the husband making disparaging remarks about his wife to his daughter and in-laws were provided to the court.

The couple had previously attended a family conciliation session, a service provided by Dubai Courts to help to resolve disputes.

Mr Al Najar told the court that during this process, the man had claimed it could take years to approve a divorce because of his Maronite faith. He is said to have asked for money in return for not impeding the process.

Initially the woman's request for a divorce was denied and the case was taken to appeal.

“My client has been paying living costs and the house and his car fees,” said Mr Al Najar. “He even involved their daughter in the dispute, prompting his wife to move to a rented apartment despite owning half of the villa.”

The Dubai Court of Appeal overturned the initial verdict and granted the woman a divorce plus custody of her daughter.

The man was ordered to pay Dh5,000 a month to his former wife to support their daughter until she is married.