A joint bank account is an account shared by two or more people. These accounts are used by closed inner circles such as relatives, wives/husbands, business partners, etc., where there is an element of trust between the members. Anyone with access to a joint bank account can conduct transactions. In joint banking, persons with access to an account are collectively or individually responsible for the operation of the account.
Joint bank account in UAE
Resident aliens must provide copies of passports, work permits, residency visas, copies of UAE IDs, wage letters, proof of no objection from employers and even sponsors.
When you open a joint account, you can benefit from two debit cards and two checkbooks. Any joint account holder can write checks or make purchases. Account-holders can conduct transactions such as deposits or withdrawals from an account. The amount of funds in the joint account belongs to the account holder.
Owner of funds in a joint account
All account holders in a joint account are account holders. A shared account owner can have two or more people. Each owner has the right to withdraw funds from the account. Some banks designate one person as the primary account holder. This will not deprive the joint account holders of their rights, because each account holder has the right to receive funds in the joint account.
Working with a joint account in the UAE
All joint account holders or any account holder can deposit or withdraw funds from the account. The right to sign the check is reserved for one or two or more persons in accordance with the agreement. The check contains the name, address and contact number of the account holder. All parties in a joint account can claim rights to the account and its assets.
If the joint account holder dies and any inconsistency occurs, the account will be frozen. The clearing fee and the outstanding amount will be paid from the account. Sometimes an account can be frozen even if the other joint account holders are not notified.
The deceased’s share in the joint account was suspended. The bank will cancel the possibility of cash withdrawals. If the account holder is married and in his will, he can indicate the funds in the inheritance account. In the absence of a will, the court will decide to end the account freeze. In this case, the provisions of the law will apply, and, accordingly, the distribution of inheritance will be carried out according to the law.
Pros and cons of a joint account
Pros:
If you are married and live with your spouse, or if you run a business and deal with people you trust. You can open a joint account and earn income. Union Bank can make it easier for you to perform the following operations.
- split costs
- Collect invoices
- Collecting mortgage or rent payments
- Collective budget billing and cost-sharing
With a joint bank account, you can reduce your financial burden as the costs will be shared. If a couple has common accounts, they will be able to increase their savings, and the fulfillment of financial obligations will become simple and straightforward. Account-holders can deposit funds and receive cumulative interest income.
After spending the current month, any account balance can be used in an emergency. You can transfer funds to a high-interest savings account to get a higher return on savings. The success or failure of membership determines the success or failure of a joint account. When approving and distributing funds, higher amounts of funds should be handled honestly.
Cons:
Freeze account
When someone dies in the UAE, the account will be frozen to pay off all of their financial debts. The accounts remain frozen until all financial debts are paid off, and the same logic applies even to joint accounts. According to UAE law, a joint account is an account equally owned by all participants. Unless agreed and instructed to proceed in a different way.
Conditions for Either or And Accounts
The operating conditions for joint bank accounts are OR and relationships. This means that in a relationship, instructions must be agreed upon by both parties. In a conditional account, “any” any signer of the joint account holder can accept it in the operating procedure.
Non-relatives on joint accounts
According to the official website of the UAE government, people can open joint accounts with any family member. The family member must be a UAE resident. However, some banks in the UAE allow non-relatives to open joint accounts. As a family member, you have a greater sense of security and privacy. If the account holder is not a family member, it is difficult to manage. Lack of trust, responsibility and safety. No one wants to share their income and expenses with their spouse. It is more difficult to share financial matters with non-relatives through joint accounts.
The impact of divorce
If there is a problem between the couple and they have a common account, the task will be difficult. In the UAE, there is no family law on the distribution of property after divorce.
The law assumes that all participants are co-owners of property or funds. This includes any property or gold that is jointly owned and the joint account holders have an equal share of the ownership.
Inheritance and wills
If a man dies in the UAE, his wife is not primarily responsible for withdrawing money from the joint account. If this is not clearly stated in the will, the money will not belong to his wife. If the man writes a will, the amount in the joint account will be transferred to his wife. Otherwise, Sharia law will apply and all funds in the joint account will be distributed among male relatives.
Conclusion
Having a joint account will reduce the financial burden because it is a good fund of funds. In addition to the benefits, if you want to provide peace of mind to your spouse, please deposit your funds into an offshore account. Make a will and make sure the money is only distributed to the people you want to give it to.