My son will soon turn 11 – will I lose custody of him when he does?

This week in my column in The National newspaper I answer a single mother who is worried about losing custody of her 10-year-old son when he reaches 11. I explain that while Article 156 of the UAE Personal Status Law grants mothers custody of sons until age 11 and daughters until age 13, it does not automatically transfer to the father at that point. Instead, he must file a case with the court for custody transfer and the mother still has the right to object to this claim. In this event, the court will decide on the arrangement that is in the best interest of the child.