Family cases are unlike any other: there are children, a home, feelings and decisions that are hard to undo. So our work in personal status cases starts with listening and with settlement where it is possible, and with a clear claim for your rights where it is not. Usus Law Firm’s office in Al Olaya, Riyadh, handles khula, divorce, custody, maintenance, visitation, guardianship and heirship before the Personal Status Court in Riyadh, and our women lawyers meet women clients directly. We advise in English.
A family case in Riyadh?
Tell us briefly what is happening. A lawyer from our Riyadh team will reply.
WhatsApp a lawyerCall +966 53 034 9349
What you send us is confidential and used only to study your case.
Quick answer
Usus Law Firm's Riyadh office (Al Olaya) handles family cases in English and Arabic: khula, divorce, custody, maintenance, visitation, guardianship and heirship before the Personal Status Court in Riyadh, with women lawyers for women clients. The first consultation is free.
- Khula does not remove the mother's custody or the children's right to maintenance.
- Custody lasts until 18; at 15 the child may choose which parent to live with.
- Phone and WhatsApp: +966 53 034 9349.
Last updated:
Cases we handle
| Case | What we do for you |
|---|---|
| Khula | File the claim, negotiate the compensation and attend the settlement and court sessions. Khula conditions and steps |
| Divorce and its registration | Prove and register the divorce, and claim the wife’s rights after it. Registering and proving a divorce |
| Annulment (faskh) | Prove a ground the law accepts, such as harm. Marriage annulment |
| Custody and visitation | Claim or transfer custody, or arrange visitation in the child’s best interest. When custody passes to the father |
| Maintenance (nafaqa) | Have maintenance assessed on proven income and expenses, and enforce the judgment if payment stops |
| Guardianship | A guardianship deed for a minor and the limits of the guardian’s powers. Guardianship deed |
| Heirship and estates | Heirship deeds and dividing the estate by agreement or through the court. Heirship deed and estate division |
Custody and maintenance: what the law says
- Who has custody: the mother first while she is fit for it, then the father, then other relatives in the order the law sets. The order is not automatic; the court may decide otherwise in the child’s interest.
- Until when: custody lasts until the child turns eighteen; at fifteen the child may choose which parent to live with, unless their interest lies elsewhere.
- Travel with the child: taking the child outside the Kingdom needs the other parent’s consent or the court’s permission.
- Visitation: the non-custodial parent may visit and host the children at times set by the court if the parents do not agree.
- Child maintenance: it is the father’s duty, covering food, clothing, housing, schooling and medical care, and it does not lapse because the children live with their mother.
More in child custody and maintenance after divorce and the Saudi Personal Status Law.
A wife’s rights after divorce
- The deferred dowry, if the contract provides for it.
- Maintenance during the waiting period (iddah) in a revocable divorce, and what the law provides in other cases.
- Mut’ah compensation in the cases the law sets.
- Custody, child maintenance and visitation.
If the husband does not register the divorce, the wife may file a claim to prove it before the Personal Status Court; the law obliges the husband to register it.
Documents by type of case
| Case | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Khula | Marriage contract, the wife’s ID, and proof of any dowry paid |
| Custody, maintenance, visitation | Marriage contract, divorce deed if any, the children’s birth certificates, and proof of income or spending |
| Proving a divorce | Marriage contract number or date, the date and type of divorce, proof it happened (a message, witnesses or an admission), and the children’s details |
| Heirship | Death certificate, the heirs’ IDs, the family register, and proof of any heir not listed in it |
Prefer a woman lawyer?
Our women lawyers meet women clients directly, at the office by appointment or remotely by phone and WhatsApp. See female lawyer in Saudi Arabia.
Frequently asked questions
Does the husband have to agree to khula?
No. If he refuses, the court hears the claim and rules for khula if settlement fails and the wife is ready to return the compensation.
Does khula end the mother’s custody?
No. Khula does not remove the mother’s right to custody or the children’s right to maintenance from their father.
Can my case go ahead without me attending the hearings?
Yes in most cases. Claims are filed on Najiz, many hearings are held remotely, and the lawyer attends under the power of attorney.
Can custody be agreed without going to court?
Yes, and it is best to record the agreement in a deed so it can be enforced.
How much does a family lawyer in Riyadh cost?
It depends on the type of case and its stage; we state it in writing after the free first consultation and before any commitment. See lawyer fees in Saudi Arabia.
Our Riyadh office
Al Olaya district, at the intersection of Khurais Road and Olaya Street, Building 3061, first floor, office 8 (next to Al Alsun International School), Riyadh 12611.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 9 am to 1 pm and 6 to 9 pm; Saturday 6 to 9 pm. Phone and WhatsApp: +966 53 034 9349
The first consultation is free, in person at the office or remotely by phone or video call. We advise in English and Arabic. All the services of the office are on Lawyer in Riyadh.
This page is general information and is not a substitute for advice on your case. Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia are in Arabic; the official, current Arabic text of each law prevails.