- Divorce & Custody
- Doha
- Confidential
Divorce or custody in Qatar? Know where you stand before you act.
Send us your situation in confidence, by text or voice note. Faysel Al-Mohannadi reads it and replies himself within the hour in working hours.
- Your first message commits you to nothing. Confidential.
Faysel Al-Mohannadi replies to you himself, within the hour in working hours.
You can delete the chat after sending. We don't call unless you ask us to.
Faysel Al-Mohannadi0:56
- Admitted before the Court of Cassation
- 300+ cases since 2024
- Confidential
Two situations. Two different first moves.
I'm considering it
Before you say a word at home, know your rights on the children, money and home.
Quietly collect copies: marriage contract, IDs, bank statements, lease.
Know your routes: mutual consent, khula, or divorce for harm. Each has a different cost, timeline and effect.
Don't announce it, don't leave the marital home, and don't send messages in anger until you know what each step does.
A case against me
Don't sign any settlement or "temporary" custody agreement.
Send us a photo of what you received. We'll explain what it says and how long you have to respond.
Ask early for what protects the children: interim maintenance, who they live with, and a court travel ban if there's a risk.
Don't leave home or travel with the children before you speak to a lawyer.
Three things not to do this week
Don't send the message.
The angry one. It will be read out in court.
Don't sign to make it stop.
A settlement, a custody "arrangement", a receipt. Signed under pressure, it is used against you for years.
Don't move the children.
Not to another home, not to another country, until you know what the law says about it.
What we ask the court for
If you're the mother
- Custody confirmed in the children's interest
- Child maintenance based on the father's real income
- A court order stopping the children's travel if there is a risk
- Deferred dowry and post-divorce maintenance
If you're the father
- Your guardianship rights: school, passport, paperwork
- Clear visitation with a way to enforce it
- Maintenance in line with your real income
- Transfer of custody where the legal conditions are met
- The children staying in Qatar during the case, by court order
We tell you your real position plainly, then we work from there.
Who gets the children
Most parents lose ground here before anything is filed, because they assume custody means control. In Qatar it doesn't. Custody and guardianship are separate rights, and the gap between them decides schooling, travel and every document your child needs.
Custody and guardianship are not the same
CustodyWho the child lives with, day to day.
GuardianshipWho signs — school, passport, travel, bank, medical.
CustodyThe mother, by default, while the child is young.
GuardianshipThe father, by default — whatever the custody says.
CustodyYes. By age, by the court, or by something the custodian does.
GuardianshipRarely, and only by the court.
13a boy
15a girl
A mother's custody runs by default until a boy is 13 and a girl is 15. The court can extend it — a boy to 15, a girl until she marries — where that serves the child.
Those are the defaults, not the outcome. The court weighs both parents, and that is the part a case turns on.
What costs a parent custody
Remarrying.
A mother who marries a man outside the child's close family can lose custody — and often does, because nobody told her the timing mattered.
Moving the child.
A new home, inside Qatar or out of it, without agreement or the court's leave. It is the most common own goal we are called about.
The home itself.
Health, conduct, who else lives there. The other side will put evidence in front of the judge. So should you.
Travel.
A court can stop a child leaving Qatar. Travel against an order and you risk the custody itself, not just the trip.
None of this is settled by the law alone. It is settled by what the court is shown, and when. Faysel Al-Mohannadi replies to you himself, within the hour in working hours.
Why Al Faisal for a divorce
Discretion.
No names anywhere — not on the site, not in the videos. Nothing leaves the firm.
The truth, gently.
We tell you your real position, then work from it. Ask us before you act.
Cassation-grade.
The agreement we draft or the case we file is prepared to be procedurally sound if the other side pushes it all the way.
Family cases are where people act on emotion: a message sent in anger, a child taken on a trip without agreement, a paper signed just to end an argument. Talk to me before you take any step.
Faysel Al MohannadiAdmitted before the Court of Cassation · Ministry of Interior & INTERPOL, retired 2023
Trusted by clients
What clients say
- Family law
Going through my divorce, my biggest fears were losing custody and housing for my kids. The lawyers patiently explained my legal rights, fought for a fair settlement, and now we have secure housing and maintenance arranged.
- Family law
I started the process feeling very defensive about access to my children. The firm kept the temperature down, managed all communication with my ex-wife's lawyer, and we successfully reached a joint arrangement that puts the kids first.
- Family law
My ex-husband stopped paying child support for months. The firm opened an execution file and took swift legal action to freeze his accounts until all arrears were paid. They took a huge burden off my shoulders.
- Family law
I needed legal permission to take my children on summer holiday after my ex-wife unreasonably refused. The team handled the urgent petition smoothly, and the judge granted the travel order just in time.
- Civil dispute
I contacted Al Faisal after hours expecting an automated reply, but I spoke directly to a lawyer within 20 minutes. They were incredibly straightforward about my case. They told me exactly what I was up against, including some harsh realities I didn't want to hear at the time, but it saved me months of false hope.
- Commercial litigation
I walked into my first consultation completely overwhelmed by a commercial dispute. The team listened, took notes, and a few days later provided a clear written legal opinion. It outlined my exact risks and options. Because of that clarity, we knew exactly what steps to take next and won the claim.
- Regulatory compliance
We brought Al Faisal in to handle a complex regulatory issue. From day one, the scope of work and their fees were outlined clearly in writing, with no hidden surprises. Since they resolved the matter, our operations have run smoothly and we have retained them for all our corporate counsel.
- General consultation
I was intimidated by the legal process, but the team at Al Faisal explained every step in plain language. They made sure I understood my rights and didn't make any false promises. Truly professional from start to finish.
- Civil litigation
What stood out most was their communication. I never had to chase them for an update. They called me after every hearing and patiently answered all my questions.
Every case is different. Past results don't guarantee yours.
Questions we get every day
An agreed divorce can be done in weeks. A contested case with custody and money runs for months, longer with appeals. The reconciliation stage comes first either way.
No. Before a divorce case proceeds, the Family Court's reconciliation office tries to bring the two sides to terms. Many divorces are agreed there — on custody and money as well — which is why we prepare you for it: what to agree, what never to agree, and what an agreement must contain to be enforced.
Specific sums under specific heads, not a split down the middle: maintenance for the children, paid by the father on his means; maintenance for the wife for the waiting period; the deferred dower; and compensation where a husband divorces without cause. Property stays with whoever owns it.
It depends on their ages, both parents' circumstances and the law's conditions. Custody and guardianship can be split. We'll tell you where you stand — honestly.
A divorce at the wife's request where she returns the dower, or part of it. It is faster than proving harm, and it changes the money, not the custody.
The court can order it. Timing matters. If you think travel is planned, message us today.
Yes, if you're resident. Qatar's Family Law applies to Muslims of any nationality; non-Muslims may ask for their own law on certain matters. Which law applies is the first thing we settle.
Usually yes, if you're resident and the marriage is documented. Which law applies is the first question.
No. Legal privilege covers everything you send us.
No. Tell us what happened, and we'll tell you the next step and what a consultation covers. Nothing is agreed until you choose.
A fixed fee, which we tell you before you book, with a written legal opinion, for the whole session: in person at our office in Al Sadd, Doha, on video or by phone. If you then instruct us, the case fee is agreed in writing before any work starts.
That's exactly what the first message is for. Tell us what happened, and we'll tell you plainly whether it's worth taking further.
Faysel answers WhatsApp messages himself. From the first meeting, you know who is handling your matter and how to reach them.
Yes, in Arabic or English. Tell us what happened, when, and what papers you have.
If the matter is in Qatar, yes. We meet on video or by phone, and explain what's needed for us to act for you from abroad.
No, video is enough. If you'd rather meet in person, our office in Al Sadd, Doha is open to you.
Yes. Everything you tell us is confidential under the Advocacy Law. It stays between us.
Tell me what happened. I'll say plainly where you stand.
Faysel Al-Mohannadi replies to you himself, within the hour in working hours.
Is a child about to be taken out of the country? Call now.