How Mohammad Marria Helped Build a Will-Registration System in the UAE

When senior estate planner and entrepreneur Mohammad Marria moved to the UAE from the UK in 2005, he entered a market that lacked the formal structures needed to protect one of the most important elements of people's lives: their estates. Instead of simply adapting to the environment, he became one of the early contributors to shaping the country's first structured will-registration framework, helping build a system that previously did not exist.

"When I arrived, there was no framework. We had to build everything from the ground up," Mohammad says.

Today, as the CEO and founder of Just Wills Legal Consultants, he leads a firm with more than 20 years of specialised experience, supporting thousands of expatriates and UAE nationals with wills, probate guidance, power of attorney preparation, and cross-border inheritance matters. His company was among the first dedicated will-drafting providers in the GCC, helping professionalise a sector that had not yet been fully developed.

From Uncertainty to Structure

Before a formal will-registration process was introduced, families, especially expats, faced significant uncertainty when navigating inheritance matters. Delays in accessing assets, the absence of legal clarity, and cross-border complications often created stress at the worst possible moment.

Seeing this gap, Mohammad took on a role beyond traditional estate planning. He became an advocate for structured succession planning, meeting with banks, real estate professionals, and high-net-worth families to raise awareness of guardianship, interim planning, and international estate execution.

By bridging cultural, procedural, and legal differences, he helped introduce a level of structure that allowed individuals and families to make informed decisions about their futures.

Tech-Driven Succession Planning

As the UAE evolved into a global hub for business and innovation, expectations changed. Clients wanted estate-planning solutions that were faster, more transparent, and tech-enabled.

Mohammad began integrating technology into the process, leading to his forthcoming innovation: the Just Wills mobile app, designed to assist executors in real time.

The app was crafted to consolidate financial and administrative data immediately after a death, allowing executors to act quickly and helping solve one of the most common pain points in estate administration.

Looking ahead, Mohammad sees an opportunity for global expansion.
"In other jurisdictions, inheritance laws are more straightforward — spouses and children receive defined shares — yet families still struggle to locate or manage assets. The future is ensuring the right information reaches the right person at the right time," he explains.

Redefining the Future of Estate Planning

Mohammad believes the next phase of estate planning will rely on a combination of proactive preparation, technology, and global interoperability. Families today live, work, invest, and own assets across borders, and their estate plans need to reflect that.

"Estate planning shouldn't begin in a crisis — it should start with a conversation. Our goal is to make that conversation easier, from the UAE to anywhere families choose to build their lives," he says.

For the UAE, his work helped shape the foundation for today's will-registration systems. For the international market, it offers an example of how entrepreneurship, legal innovation, and technology can meaningfully change people's lives at moments of profound vulnerability.