The Al Ain Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Cases Court has ordered the guardian of a student to pay Dh4,669 in overdue tuition fees to his daughter’s private school, along with Dh500 in compensation, after ruling that he failed to settle fees from the 2024–2025 academic year.
The school filed a lawsuit seeking recovery of unpaid tuition, as well as Dh4,000 in compensation, legal interest, court fees, and lawyers’ costs, citing repeated demands for payment that the guardian ignored.
In his defense, the guardian asked the court to dismiss the case, claiming lack of validity and insufficient proof of the school’s claims.
The court reviewed documents showing that the school had repeatedly requested payment of the remaining tuition installments, supported by an official account statement. It found that the guardian failed to provide evidence proving the fees had been paid. Under the law, the burden of proof rests on the debtor to show that an obligation has been discharged.
Regarding interest, the court ruled that the delay justified a 1% per year legal interest from the date the case was filed until full settlement, capped at the awarded amount.
The court also granted Dh500 in compensation, noting that the school suffered financial harm due to the delayed payment.
The guardian is now required to pay the outstanding tuition fees, legal interest, compensation, court costs, and Dh200 in legal fees.
