Civil & Commercial Procedure Law
Said Ibrahim Ambusaidi Advocates (SIA) in Muscat conducts civil and commercial litigation before the Omani courts at every degree under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002: from drafting and filing the statement of claim, through defenses, submissions, and appeals, to execution of the judgment before the execution judge.
What we handle
- Drafting statements of claim and filing them with the competent court
- Procedural and substantive defenses and written submissions
- Urgent applications and precautionary attachment
- Appeals and cassation before the Supreme Court
- Execution of judgments before the execution judge and execution disputes
- Enforcement of arbitral awards and foreign judgments in Oman
How is a claim filed and managed before the court?
Under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002, a claim is filed by depositing the statement of claim with the registry of the competent court, and counts as filed from the date of deposit. Before that deposit we settle the questions that come first: which court has jurisdiction over your dispute by subject, value, and place; whether your claim is within time; and how to frame the requests so they capture your full right without opening a door for challenge.
We then run the litigation hearing by hearing: filing documents and submissions on time, answering the opponent's defenses, requesting court experts where the issue is technical, and using the tools of the Law of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions, Royal Decree 68/2008, from compelling the opponent to produce a document in his hands to questioning parties and hearing witnesses.
When do we use urgent relief and precautionary attachment?
Some rights cannot wait for a judgment on the merits that may take months. The Civil and Commercial Procedures Law therefore provides urgent applications decided swiftly to avert imminent harm, and allows precautionary attachment over a debtor's assets where there is fear of their dissipation before judgment, under the conditions and safeguards the law prescribes.
We first assess your position realistically: are the requirements of urgency or the grounds for attachment actually met? A hasty, rejected application costs time and fees and may expose your case. Where they are met, we prepare the application with its evidence, follow it to the order and its execution, then file the substantive claim within the period the law requires so the attachment holds.
How do we challenge judgments and enforce them?
Every judgment has its route of challenge and its strict deadlines: appeal before the Court of Appeal, then cassation before the Supreme Court where the law allows. We review the judgment for serious grounds of challenge, and we tell you plainly when a challenge is not worthwhile, because prolonging a losing dispute serves no one.
Nor is a judgment in your favour the end of the road: a right is realised by execution, not by the ruling alone. We pursue execution before the execution judge: attachment of the debtor's assets and accounts, execution against real property, and defeating the execution objections debtors raise to stall. We also handle applications to enforce arbitral awards and foreign judgments in Oman under the provisions governing them. In certain disputes defined by the Law Facilitating Litigation Procedures in Certain Disputes, Royal Decree 125/2020, simpler and faster tracks are available, and we take them whenever they save you time and cost.
Frequently asked questions
How do I file a civil or commercial claim in Oman?
A claim is filed by depositing a statement of claim with the registry of the competent court under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002, and counts as filed from the date of deposit. The statement sets out the parties, the subject, and the requests with their grounds. We identify the competent court, draft and file the statement, and attend the hearings through to judgment on your behalf.
I won a judgment but the losing party will not pay. What now?
An execution file is opened before the execution judge, who can compel payment through the means the law provides, including attachment of the debtor's assets and bank accounts and execution against his real property, under the Civil and Commercial Procedures Law, Royal Decree 29/2002. We conduct the execution, defeat the debtor's objections and stalling, and follow the file until your right is actually collected.
How long does a civil or commercial case take?
There is no single answer: duration depends on the dispute's type, complexity, number of parties, any expert evidence required, and whether the judgment is appealed or taken to the Supreme Court. Certain disputes follow simpler tracks under Royal Decree 125/2020. After reviewing your documents we give you a realistic estimate of your case's likely course rather than a promise no one can keep.
Can a debtor's assets be frozen before judgment?
Yes, in defined circumstances. The Civil and Commercial Procedures Law allows precautionary attachment over a debtor's assets where its grounds are met, such as fear of dissipation before the dispute is decided, subject to the safeguards the law prescribes and to filing the substantive claim within the set period. We assess whether attachment serves your case and conduct the procedure where it does.
How much does a litigation lawyer cost in Muscat?
Fees depend on the type and value of the claim and the degrees of litigation it may pass through. We start with a free first consultation by phone or WhatsApp on +968 9706 3030, hear your dispute, and review your documents, then give you a clear written fee proposal before work begins. The office operates Sunday to Thursday and appears before courts across all governorates of Oman.
Your first consultation is free
Describe your matter on WhatsApp or by phone, and we will explain your legal position before any commitment.