Abu Dhabi has introduced a formal co-parenting framework for families going through separation, requiring divorced parents to uphold shared responsibilities toward their children in areas spanning education, healthcare, and emotional wellbeing.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, issued Resolution No. 43 of 2026 approving the Post-Separation Charter, titled Year of Family.
The charter is grounded in a single governing principle: the dissolution of a marriage does not end parenthood, and a child’s need for shared care, safe contact, and a stable environment does not diminish when a relationship breaks down.
Under the charter, both parents are required to co-operate on major decisions affecting the child, including schooling, medical treatment, and travel. The custodial parent must keep the other regularly updated on academic progress, health, and school activities. Each parent is obligated to provide healthcare and education, protect the child’s physical and psychological wellbeing, and raise children in accordance with Emirati customs and traditions.
The charter also governs how parents conduct themselves relative to each other. It prohibits either parent from speaking disparagingly about the other in front of their children, from discussing the reasons for the separation in the child’s presence, and from using visitation rights or financial maintenance as tools of pressure or leverage.
The document provides a framework for parents to agree on visitation arrangements, overnight stays, travel, and financial obligations, drawing on the Federal Personal Status Law governing custody, maintenance, and educational guardianship.
On disputes, the charter requires parents to first attempt an amicable resolution. If that fails, the matter is referred to the Family Guidance Centre for reconciliation before any court referral. Practically, a Family Guidance Counsellor presents the document to both parties following separation, who are asked to sign it in full or in part and commit to its provisions.
The charter frames compliance not as a legal formality but as an expression of both parents’ continuing moral responsibility to their children.
