Legal Services in Oman
Oman is a member state of the GCC. With a GDP of over 80 billion USD, it is considered a strategically important part of the GCC. Its geographical presence also makes it one of the important states in GCC. Lawyers from top law firms practice law to provide legal services in Oman. Major legal services areas in Oman are family law, labor law, and civil law. Also, well-reputed debt collection agencies provide debt recovery services in Oman.
The population of Oman is over 4.5 Million, with over 2.5 million Omani nationals and the rest comprising of expatriates. Expatriates who migrate to Oman in search of work and settlement. Oman has 41 cities; the most notable of them are Muscat (the capital of Oman), Seeb, Salalah, Sohar, and Muttrah to name a few.
You may also read: Lawyers in Oman
Oman is an absolute monarchy. Its state religion is Islam. The sultan has absolute power over everything in Oman. The judicial system in Oman is subordinate to the Sultan. According to the constitution of Oman, Sharia law is one of the sources of legislation. The sharia courts work within the civil court system mainly in the cases of family law.
We are a full-service legal firm and provide services in the most widely used branches of law that are used in Oman through our associates. We have explained them under:
Family law Legal Advisers Oman:
Family law matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance are based on the principles of sharia law. Sharia law is derived from the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith. A good family law firm lawyer in Oman will be widely acquainted with these laws. A good advocate will provide the best legal services of family law in Oman.
When it comes down to family law matters in Oman, sharia courts decide the final matters. Even if you are a non-Muslim living in Oman, your family law matter will be handled according to the sharia law. Most of the family lawyers in Oman are residents of the state, having knowledge of the local laws both sharia and modern, making them the best choice in matters related to family law.
Criminal Law Legal consultants Oman:
Legal services in Oman for criminal defense and offense cases. Criminal offenses in Oman are divided into three main categories: felonies, misdemeanors, and minor offenses. Laws prevalent for criminal offenses in Oman are governed by a mixture of French law and sharia law. Punishments for these kinds of offenses can range from prison, fines, or in some extreme cases the death penalty. Criminal lawyers in Oman are equipped with the principles of modern law and sharia law when dealing with cases of criminal nature to safeguard the interest of their clients.
Labour law:
With the ever-increasing overseas workforce coming to Oman, the labor law of Oman must play the most important role in an employee-employer relationship. The Oman labor law, enforced and stipulated by the royal decree 35/2003, is the main source of labor and employment-related legal services in Oman.
In 2012 an enhanced labor law was introduced, to better facilitate the private sector, parallelly providing a balanced relationship between the employees and the employer. Labour laws govern the payment of wages on time, leaves, unfair treatment of the workforce, unfair termination, medical insurance, and workmen’s compensation. Oman labor laws do not apply to civil servants, security personnel, and domestic servants.
Muscat is the biggest city in Oman and holds the biggest number of people living in Oman; therefore, labor lawyers in Oman are handling cases of labor law regularly. These lawyers and advocates in Muscat have a long list of employers working with them to ensure that all labor laws are met when conducting their business.
Property law:
Property law related to inheritance is primarily governed by the sharia law e.g. a son of the family will get twice the share from the inheritance as compared to a daughter. All other matters related to inheritance are dealt with considering sharia law.
Property law in Oman states that any real estate in Oman can be owned by an Oman national. A wholly owned Omani company or a 51% Omani shareholding in a joint-stock company may own real estate in Oman. As for non-GCC foreign nationals owning real estate in Oman, they must ensure the government of Oman that the project that they intend to start is for the betterment of Oman and its nationals. Furthermore, non-GCC foreign nationals are only allowed to own or operate real estate in tourist-designated areas of Oman.
Oman has its intellectual property office situated in the ministry of commerce and industry. As is the case with other branches of law, intellectual property law influxes in the justice system of Oman through a royal decree.
Property lawyers in Oman and especially in Muscat; is the biggest city in Oman, are particularly well trained in carrying out matters related to property law.
Civil Law:
Oman’s first civil code of law came into effect on the 13 of August 2013. It is legislation comprising over 1000 articles. These articles govern the rights of businesses operating in Oman and the responsibilities that imply to them.
Furthermore, as Oman’s overall judicial system is primarily based on sharia law, hence, wherever a foreign law comes head-on with sharia law in dispute, sharia law will always be implemented e.g. in the case of interest payments, sharia law is dominant over modern law as used around the world. Civil lawyers in Oman will always be mindful of the fact about sharia law’s implementations.
Debt Collection in Oman:
Financial institutes such as some of the biggest banks in the world have their presence in Oman. These institutes offer their services to expatriates as well as Oman nationals, ranging from loans to account management.
Debt collection as is the case with other parts of the world is a matter of concern for Omani banks as well. Usually for debt collection, Omani banks utilize the services of third-party debt collectors, in cases of extreme nature such as when an offender flew back to their home country without paying off their debt. A good debt collection agency can provide legal services in Oman for debt recovery.
These agencies use different methods of debt collection and have been successful in extracting debt from offenders. They even work with banks and financial institutions on the basis of no win-no fee, which means if they are unable to extract debt from an offender they don’t charge the institute.
Disclaimer: An attorney/lawyer shall be consulted when making a decision for your legal needs. Rules and laws described in this blog shall only be used as a source of information. That cannot be contested in a court of law, nor can be used as legal advice.
