Joint legal initiative by MSS Dubai and PILSS focuses on marital disputes, financial fraud, and residency complications facing NRIs in the UAE and returnees in India.
DUBAI, Oct. 18, 2026 : Indian expatriates residing in the United Arab Emirates and returnees navigating cross-border disputes will gain access to pro-bono legal counsel next month during a full-day legal aid fair in Dubai.
The “Family Legal Aid Fair” (Kudumba Neethi Mela) will take place on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Pace International School in Al Rashidiya, Dubai, running from 10:00 AM. Organized by the Dubai chapter of the Muslim Educational Society / Muslim Service Society (MSS Dubai) alongside the Kochi-based Pravasi Indian Legal Service Society (PILSS), the community initiative seeks to resolve mounting civil, domestic, and commercial legal disputes encountered by the Indian diaspora.
This year’s fair coincides with the UAE’s broader institutional focus on family welfare, directing legal resources toward high-stress domestic disputes. A dedicated panel of High Court advocates, certified family mediators, and welfare experts will provide one-on-one sessions for issues involving divorce, domestic abuse, maintenance obligations, child custody battles, and the protection of elderly family members living abroad.
Beyond matrimonial and family jurisprudence, attendees will receive counsel regarding common cross-border complications. These include passport bottlenecks, Indian diplomatic liaison challenges, visa violations, recruitment fraud, commercial investment scams, and persistent consumer banking or credit card disputes. Motor vehicle accident claims and property inheritance litigation pending in India will also fall under the panel’s review.
Justice Mary Joseph of the Kerala High Court formally released the fair’s official campaign brochure in Kochi, presenting the first copy to High Court Advocate P.T. Shijeesh. Speaking during the launch, PILSS Chairman Adv. Shanavas Kattakath noted that vulnerable community members often abandon rightful claims due to steep cross-border litigation expenses or simple unfamiliarity with procedural mechanisms. Family counselor C.A. Razak, MSS Dubai treasurer Abdul Muthaleef, and advocates Beena Prasad and George attended the ceremony.
PILSS, established in 2012 under the Societies Registration Act, has conducted cross-border legal intervention clinics across Kerala and the GCC, having previously held legal relief sessions in Oman in 2023, followed by UAE editions in 2024 and 2025. The society also worked alongside the Consulate General of India during past regional amnesty amnesties to help undocumented or stranded workers clear systemic exit blocks.
A supervisory board overseen by retired High Court Justice P.K. Shamsuddin and former Indian Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan directs PILSS’s voluntary initiatives. The Dubai event’s core working group is chaired by Mohan S. Venkit, with Adv. Muhammed Sajid as General Convener, Adv. Azeez Tholeri leading the lawyers’ panel, Adv. Girija heading counseling affairs, and MSS Dubai President Fayaz Ahmed alongside PILSS UAE President K.K. Ashraf serving as patrons.
Organizers confirmed that attendee pre-registration will launch shortly, appealing to regional cultural networks and community volunteer bodies to help direct distressed individuals toward the pro-bono sessions.
