Islamic family matters and English law
Marriage, divorce, the mahr and inheritance. Private advice in English, Arabic or Urdu.
How we help families
How we can help
We advise privately at every stage: marriage, divorce, the mahr and inheritance.
Marriage and nikah نكاح
A sound nikah, and a marriage recognised in law.
More on marriage and nikahDivorce and separation طلاق
Talaq, khula and faskh, with the civil divorce where needed.
More on divorce and separationMahr and rights مهر
Record the mahr clearly, or recover it when unpaid.
More on mahr and rightsWills and inheritance فرائض
One will that follows faraid and is valid in England and Wales.
More on wills and inheritancePrenuptial agreements
Protect the mahr and what you each bring.
See it in practice
Pick a matter to see how it works
The Islamic position, the legal position, and what we do.
A nikah is a complete marriage نكاح
A valid nikah establishes marriage in full, with defined rights and responsibilities for both spouses.
Recognition requires registration
English law recognises a marriage only once it is legally registered. Many nikahs are not, which can affect a spouse’s position on separation.
We help you put both in place.
Ended through talaq, khula or faskh طلاق
A marriage ends through a valid talaq, khula or faskh. Until then, the nikah remains in effect.
A final order ends the civil marriage
A court’s final order ends the marriage recognised in law. It does not end your marriage in Islam.
We help with both steps, so that your religious and legal position match.
The mahr is the wife’s right مهر
The mahr belongs to the wife, a gift and a debt owed to her, whether prompt or deferred.
Enforceable only if properly recorded
An English court may give effect to a mahr only where it is clearly recorded and meets certain requirements.
We record the mahr and help recover it when unpaid.
Faraid sets defined shares فرائض
Faraid assigns fixed shares to each heir, to be honoured in the distribution of an estate.
Intestacy applies without a will
With no valid will, an estate passes under English intestacy rules, which allocate shares on a different basis.
One will that follows faraid and is valid in law.
The real cost of a nikah-only marriage
If a nikah-only marriage ends, a wife may have few legal rights
6 in 10
married Muslim women surveyed in Britain had a nikah but no civil marriage.
Channel 4 survey of 923 Muslim women, The Truth About Muslim Marriage, 2017.
The family home
If the home is in his name, she has no automatic right to stay or to a share. She may have to prove her financial contribution in court.
Savings and pension
If the marriage is not legally recognised, the court usually cannot divide his savings or pension as it could after a civil divorce. This is so however long the relationship lasted. Other claims may still be possible, for example over a home she helped pay for, or for the children.
Maintenance for her
She has no right to maintenance for herself. Child maintenance is still available for the children.
The mahr
An unpaid deferred mahr can be hard to recover without clear written terms.
If he dies
She does not inherit automatically without a will. She may have to bring a court claim to be provided for.
Much of this can be avoided with the right steps
In most cases, a civil registration and a written record of the mahr give you rights in both systems. It is not too late to check.
Request a consultation Read the guideWhat to expect
What happens when you contact us
No pressure and no judgement.
Tell us what is happening
Share your situation privately, in English, Arabic or Urdu, or through an interpreter.
We explain where you stand
In your religion and in English law, in plain words you can act on.
Clear next steps
Practical options and a route forward that you choose, at your pace.
Your safety comes first
You can talk to us safely
Tell us when it is safe to contact you. Nothing is shared with your family, community or mosque.
LawFiq is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. For confidential support, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247 (free, 24/7).
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Common questions
Questions families ask us
Is my nikah valid in the UK?
Do I need both an Islamic and a civil divorce?
Will my enquiry stay private?
Can a woman start the divorce process?
Talk to us
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- We aim to reply within one working day
- In English, Arabic or Urdu
- No obligation to go further
Prefer to talk? Call 020 3930 1088