The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court of First Instance ordered a father to pay Dh197,680 in unpaid private school fees for his children. It also held a woman who had issued a cheque covering part of the debt jointly liable with him up to the value of the cheque.

According to case details, the father enrolled his children at the school but failed to pay their fees in full. A cheque for Dh142,800, drawn on a woman’s account, was given to the school to cover part of the debt. However, the bank refused to honour it because of the way it had been completed. The sum formed part of the outstanding school fees and was not added to the principal debt.

The school subsequently filed a lawsuit against the father and the woman, seeking Dh197,680 from the father, joint liability for the woman up to the value of the cheque, and Dh15,000 in compensation. To support its claim, the school submitted account statements, invoices, a copy of the cheque, proof that it had been dishonoured, and a ruling from a criminal case relating to the same cheque.

The woman sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the claim should not have been brought against her. The court rejected her defence, noting that the cheque had been issued from her account and made payable to the school, with no evidence that it had been settled. The court also found that the father’s obligation to pay the school fees had been established.

The court ultimately ordered the father to pay the school Dh197,680 and held the woman jointly liable with him for Dh142,800 of that amount, equivalent to the value of the cheque. The pair were also ordered to jointly pay Dh3,000 in compensation, court costs and Dh200 in legal fees. The school’s remaining claims were dismissed. The published judgment did not identify the school, disclose the woman’s relationship to the father, or state whether an appeal had been filed.