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Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorneyThe key points in brief
The phrase “online divorce” sounds as if it is enough to open an app, confirm your identity, and become free within a minute. In reality, in 2026 everything is arranged in a more complex way, yet at the same time more conveniently than a few years ago. Remote tools really do exist, they save time and nerves, but they operate within the ordinary procedure for dissolving a marriage. In this article we will honestly examine what actually works in online divorce, what is still at the pilot stage, and what is simply a myth you should not believe.
A full “start to finish online” divorce, without any in-person action and without the involvement of a court or the civil registry office (DRATS), is not yet available to most couples as of 2026. In the context of divorce, “online” primarily means the ability to file documents and take part in the process remotely, not a separate, faster procedure. You can file a claim over the internet, join a hearing from home by video link, and receive the decision in your electronic cabinet, but the underlying logic of dissolving a marriage remains the same as for those who apply in person. In other words, online is a channel for interacting with the court or the state registrar, not a way to bypass the law. We have collected a general step by step overview of both routes (through DRATS and through the court) in the article the divorce procedure in Ukraine, and here we will focus specifically on the remote options.
“Online divorce” hides three different things, and they should not be confused. First: filing a statement of claim for dissolution of marriage through the “E-Court” system without visiting the registry office. Second: remote participation in a court hearing by video conference, when you connect to the proceedings from your own computer or phone. Third: the pilot divorce service in the Diia app, which applies only to certain cases of registering a divorce through DRATS. Each of these tools solves its own part of the task, but none of them makes divorce instant or automatic. Below we will look at each channel separately and honestly assess its capabilities and limitations.
A divorce claim can indeed be filed online through the “E-Court” subsystem within the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System (UJITS). To do this you need to register an Electronic Cabinet on the official portal cabinet.court.gov.ua and confirm your identity using a qualified electronic signature or Diia.Signature. “E-Court” is an official state service, and registering and using it are free. Through your personal cabinet you can not only file a claim but also receive procedural documents, summonses, and decisions, follow the progress of your case, and submit motions without leaving home. After the claim arrives, the court checks it for compliance with the requirements of the law, if necessary leaves the application without progress so that shortcomings can be corrected, and then issues a ruling to open proceedings and sets a hearing date. All these documents likewise arrive in your electronic cabinet, so you can follow the case from your phone.
In brief, the sequence of steps looks like this:
The claim reaches the court under the general rules of jurisdiction, and then the case is considered in the ordinary manner. Online filing saves time on travel and queues, but does not change the requirements for the content of the claim. We describe the structure of the application, jurisdiction, and the list of attachments in detail in a separate step by step guide, how to file a statement of claim for dissolution of marriage.
A court fee of about UAH 1,331 is payable for a divorce claim in 2026: this is 0.4 of the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons, which from 1 January 2026 amounts to UAH 3,328. The main advantage of electronic filing is that, as a general rule, a reducing coefficient of 0.8 is applied to the court fee rate, so you pay about 20% less than with a paper filing. In monetary terms the saving is about UAH 266, and the final amount comes to around UAH 1,065. Keep in mind that in practice some courts interpret the application of the coefficient differently, so it is better to check the amount in advance. For comparison: if a couple divorces through DRATS by mutual consent without children, instead of a court fee a state duty of a symbolic amount of about UAH 8.50 is paid, but this route is available only where there are no common minor children and no disputes.
Yes, a party to the case has the right to take part in a court hearing by video conference from outside the court premises, using their own technical means. This option is provided for by Article 212 of the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine. The connection is made through the official video conferencing subsystem at vkz.court.gov.ua, and once again an electronic signature is required to log in. To take part remotely, you should file the relevant application no later than five days before the hearing and send a copy of it to the other participants in the case. For comfortable participation you will need a device with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, and a quiet place. It is important to bear in mind that the court may refuse remote participation if there is no technical possibility of holding the hearing in such a format, so the application should be filed in good time. This format is especially convenient when the spouses live in different cities or when one of them is abroad. We have collected a detailed analysis of the remote options for those who have left the country in the article how to get divorced from abroad.
A classic divorce through DRATS still requires personal participation for now: spouses without common minor children who agree by mutual consent file a joint application in person (Art. 106 of the Family Code), rather than through an ordinary website. Likewise, an application is filed in person in the separate case where a marriage is dissolved on the application of only one spouse, if the other has been declared missing or legally incapable (Art. 107 of the Family Code). A full separate online cabinet for filing a divorce application with DRATS is not yet publicly available. The only online channel for registering a divorce that has appeared is the pilot service in the Diia app, which is discussed below. If your case is suitable for DRATS, we have described the fastest classic route without a court in detail in the article divorce through DRATS without a court in 2026.
Divorce through the Diia app, as of 2026, is at the stage of a pilot and a gradual rollout, so it is not yet available to everyone. During 2026 the service was tested on a limited number of couples, and a mass launch was announced after the beta testing was completed. Under the announced conditions, it will be available to adult citizens of Ukraine who have no common minor children and have reached mutual agreement on divorcing without a property dispute. The process involves one spouse filing an application, identity verification, a waiting period (about a month in pilot mode), and a video conference with a state registrar, with signing via Diia.Signature. Since the conditions and launch status may change, we separately track the current details, restrictions, and time limits in the article divorce through Diia. If you have common minor children, the app will not help: such cases are heard exclusively by a court.
No online method cancels the time limits, the court hearing, or the time for reflection, so promises of a “divorce in 5 minutes over the internet” should be treated critically. First, in court proceedings the court may, at the request of one of the spouses, grant the parties a reconciliation period of up to six months (Art. 111 of the Family Code). Second, a court decision on dissolution of marriage does not take effect immediately: it enters into legal force after the period for appeal has expired, that is, as a general rule after about 30 days, if it has not been appealed. It is precisely from the day the decision takes effect that the marriage is considered terminated (Art. 114 of the Family Code). Third, even in a divorce through DRATS on a joint application, registration takes place not instantly but one month from the day it is filed, and even the Diia app provides for a waiting period of about a month. Online tools remove queues and travel, but they do not remove the procedure itself and its time limits. In practice, even the simplest uncontested divorce usually takes from a few weeks to a few months, and where there are disputes or a reconciliation period, the process can drag on longer. That is why realistic expectations matter more than promises of an instant result.
Online tools are as convenient as possible for couples who divorce amicably and without disputes, as well as for those who physically cannot be present in court. They work most simply in the case of dissolution of marriage by mutual consent, when there is no conflict between the spouses over children, property, or alimony. On the other hand, if there is a dispute over the division of property, the child’s place of residence, or the amount of alimony, or if one of the parties objects to the divorce, the remote format does not exempt you from a full hearing: additional evidence, witnesses, and the parties’ personal positions may be required. In complex situations it is reasonable to hand over the conduct of the case to an attorney, who will file the documents through the E-Court and represent your interests while you get on with your own affairs. This way you combine the convenience of online filing with quality legal protection. The practical conclusion is simple: the online format is not a separate type of divorce but a convenient way to go through the ordinary procedure, and you should choose it when it genuinely speeds up and simplifies your particular situation rather than complicating it.
The main advantage of the online format lies in saving time and convenience, but it also has its limitations. To make a considered decision, it is useful to see the full picture.
Pros:
Cons and limitations:
You can file a claim online through the E-Court, but the case itself, where there are children, is heard by a court, not by DRATS or the Diia app. The pilot divorce in Diia is not available to couples with common minor children. At the same time, you will still be able to take part in the hearing remotely by video conference.
Yes. To register an Electronic Cabinet and sign the application you need a qualified electronic signature (QES) or Diia.Signature. You can obtain a QES, in particular, at your bank through its mobile app or at an accredited center providing such services.
The court fee for a divorce claim is about UAH 1,331, and when filing through the E-Court a coefficient of 0.8 generally applies, that is, about 20% less (around UAH 1,065). If the divorce is arranged through DRATS by consent without children, a state duty of about UAH 8.50 is paid.
Yes. The E-Court and video conferencing are available from abroad too, provided you have an electronic signature and internet access. We examine the specifics of a remote divorce for those who have left the country in detail in a separate article on divorce from abroad.
As of 2026 the service is at the stage of a pilot and a gradual rollout, so it is not available to everyone. It applies only to couples without common minor children who are divorcing by mutual consent. It is worth checking the current status and conditions directly before filing.
No. Online saves time on travel, queues, and paperwork, but it does not shorten the procedural time limits. The court may still set a reconciliation period, and the decision takes effect after the period for appeal has expired.
Yes. If you filed the claim through the Electronic Cabinet, procedural documents and the court decision arrive in electronic form in your cabinet. After the decision takes legal effect, separate registration of the divorce with DRATS is not required.
The disagreement of one spouse does not prevent the dissolution of the marriage: the court will grant a divorce even on the application of one spouse, although the process may take longer because of a possible reconciliation period. Filing the claim online is likewise available in this case, and even if the respondent ignores the hearing, the court may, under certain conditions, issue a default decision. The main thing is to draw up the claim correctly and duly notify the other party.
Ilona MelnychukAttorney, Lexon law firmSpecializes in family, civil, and commercial cases. Over 15 years of practice: representing clients’ interests in courts and negotiations.Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney In Brief You can dissolve a marriage through the registry office (DRATS, the body for the state registration of civil status
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