Why Family Wealth Planning Needs a Lawyer Before the Dispute Arises
Most estate disputes we see in the Eastern Province could have been avoided with a single document written at the right time. Our private client practice is built on that idea: arranging the transfer of assets and shares before the absence of arrangement turns into a years-long feud between siblings and children before the courts.
Inheritance and Estate Division
Our most requested service here is inheritance and estates, from obtaining the heirs determination deed and inventorying the estate's assets and debts, to amicable division or a compulsory partition lawsuit when agreement fails. Since most estates in Dammam and the Eastern Province include real estate, our work often intersects with title deed and land disputes when a property's deed is old or contested.
Wills and Waqf Endowments
We draft and notarize wills and endowments in a way that fulfills the testator's wishes without conflicting with inheritance rules, whether a one-third bequest to a charitable cause or a family waqf preserving an income-producing property for future generations, with trusteeship and disbursement mechanisms defined precisely enough to prevent later disputes over its management.
Family Businesses and Generational Succession
The Saudi economy is driven by family businesses now facing the second- and third-generation transition. Under our family business and succession service we design family charters and shareholders agreements that govern share transfers, family members joining management, and fair-value exits for those wishing to leave, before conflict imposes worse solutions on everyone.
When the Estate Intertwines With Family Matters
Some estate files cannot be separated from personal status matters: guardianship over minors who inherited shares, guardianship and interdiction over an heir lacking capacity, or a paternity dispute that changes the map of heirs entirely. The integration between this practice and our family and personal status team means one file does not require two law firms.
Estates With Assets Outside the Kingdom
Many Eastern Province families own property or accounts in the Gulf or Europe, and distributing those assets is governed by the law of where they sit alongside Sharia rules. We coordinate with correspondent firms in those countries to execute cross-border division, and arrange the powers of attorney and attestations each jurisdiction requires.
Settling the Estate's Debts Before Distribution
The rule under both Sharia and Saudi law is clear: the deceased's debts are paid before the will is executed and before inheritance is distributed. We inventory and verify creditor claims and negotiate their settlement from estate assets, so heirs are not surprised after division by claims pursuing them in their shares.
How We Start With You
Whether you are planning your estate early or have just inherited a complicated file, start with a WhatsApp message summarizing the family's situation and the assets being arranged or disputed. We then determine whether a planning session ending in signed documents fits best, or full engagement administering the estate and representing you before the court, with clear costs before any commitment.