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Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney The key points Divorce is not only a legal procedure but also an emotional loss, so pain, confusion and fatigue in this situation are completely normal. Grief usually goes through several stages: shock, anger, mourning and…
Since the start of the full-scale invasion and the declaration of martial law in Ukraine, when airspace for civilian aircraft was closed, the issue of vacations faded into the background. However, over time, many Ukrainians began to wonder again what…
Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney The key points in brief An apostille is an international certification that confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal on a Ukrainian divorce document so that it is recognized abroad without additional legalization. The apostille…
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine faced challenges that required non-standard solutions. One of these was the introduction, from 7 April 2022, of a temporary mechanism for the automatic extension of land lease contracts for one year.…
Divorce from a serviceman has its own particularities, especially under martial law. As a family attorney, I want to explain the main aspects of this process so that you are ready for all the nuances. Particularities of the dissolution of…
The full-scale war in Ukraine has brought radical changes to everyone’s life, especially to the sphere of business. Active hostilities, missile strikes, the temporary occupation of territories, all of this creates unprecedented challenges for entrepreneurs. Many of them face an…
Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney The key points You can get a divorce while abroad entirely remotely: a trip to Ukraine is not required. If there are no shared minor children and both spouses agree, the marriage is dissolved by the civil registry (DRATS) on a joint application (Article 106 of the Family Code), and the signature of the spouse outside the country is certified by a Ukrainian consul or a local notary. If there are children or one spouse objects, the case is decided by a court: the claim is filed through the Electronic Court if you have a qualified electronic signature (QES), or entrusted to an attorney under a power of attorney. You can take part in the hearing by videoconference, so flying to Ukraine is usually unnecessary. The court fee for a claim in 2026 is about UAH 1,331, while the state duty for a divorce through the civil registry (DRATS) is roughly UAH 8.50. Millions of Ukrainians now live abroad, and personal decisions do not become any simpler because of it. The reassuring part is that you do not have to buy a ticket home to officially dissolve a marriage. In this article we go step by step through which remote tools actually work as of 2026, when a request to the civil registry (DRATS) is enough and when the case will be handled by a court, and how to arrange everything without leaving your country of residence. Can you get divorced while abroad? Yes, dissolving a marriage from abroad is entirely realistic, and the law does not require both spouses to be physically present in the same office. Ukrainian law provides two routes: the administrative one, through the department of state registration of civil status acts (DRATS for short), and the judicial one. The choice between […]
Author: Ilona Melnychuk, attorney The key points in brief A court decision on the dissolution of a marriage can be appealed through the appellate procedure within thirty days from the day it is announced (Article 354 of the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine). Overturning the very fact of the divorce is almost impossible: the court has no right to force spouses to preserve a marriage against the will of one of them. Real chances are given by challenging procedural violations or related issues (children, alimony, property, surname). The grounds for reversal are set out in Article 376 of the Civil Procedure Code: incomplete establishment of the circumstances, lack of proof, inconsistency of the conclusions with the facts, and violation of the rules of law. In 2026 the court fee for an appeal is about UAH 1,996.80 (150 percent of the rate for the claim); when filing through the Electronic Court system a 20 percent discount applies. While the appeal is pending, the decision does not enter into legal force: the marriage is not legally considered dissolved until the review is completed. A decision of the court of first instance does not always put an end to a divorce case. If you believe the court made a mistake, misapplied the law, failed to take your arguments into account, or resolved questions about the children or property without a proper assessment, the law gives you the right to appeal. Below we go step by step through the deadlines, the real grounds, the cost, and the consequences of an appeal as of 2026. Within what time can an appeal against a divorce decision be filed? An appeal is filed within thirty days from the day the court decision is announced (Article 354 of the Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine). This is the basic […]
With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of martial law, the issue of reserving persons liable for military service has become especially relevant for business. The agricultural sector, which is one of the key branches of the economy and provides the country with food security, was no exception. Enterprises of the agro-industrial complex face challenges connected with retaining their most qualified personnel. In this article, we will examine how the requirements for reserving persons liable for military service in the agricultural sector have evolved and what entrepreneurs need to know in order to successfully complete this procedure. Legislative Framework and First Steps The basis for the reservation procedure is Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 194 of 03.03.2022. According to it, enterprises that meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other military formations and the population may reserve their employees. However, as it turned out, the interpretation of this provision subsequently changed. “The defining condition for reservation is the enterprise’s satisfaction of the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military formations and the population. However, there is no legislative definition or clarification of such a term, and for this reason its understanding is a controversial and ambiguous matter,” experts comment. At the initial stage of the war, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food (the Ministry of Agrarian Policy), which is responsible for the thorough review of proposals from agricultural enterprises, accepted reservation documents with a fairly general justification. However, the requirements soon became stricter. The Evolution of Reservation Requirements The position of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy changed gradually. This is connected not with an update of the Resolution, but with a different vision of the procedure. It was formed on the basis of the Law of […]
In the era of accessible microloans from MFOs (microfinance organisations), many people face the problem of repaying their debt. If you have found yourself in such a situation, you have probably already had to deal with intrusive calls from debt collectors. But sometimes the debt collection process takes more aggressive forms, for example, through a notary’s writ of execution. This tool makes it possible to recover funds without a court hearing, which makes it particularly attractive to creditors. However, such writs are not always lawful. In this article we will look at how to challenge a notary’s writ of execution and protect your rights. What is a notary’s writ of execution? A notary’s writ of execution is a notary’s order for the compulsory recovery of sums of money from a debtor or the transfer of property to a creditor. It is one of the enforcement documents that gives the enforcement officer (state or private) the right to open enforcement proceedings and seize your property and bank accounts. However, the key point is that a notary carries out such an action only if the debt is indisputable. Important. A notary is not a court. The notary does not establish the rights and obligations of the parties, but merely certifies that the creditor’s right to recover the debt exists. The decision to make the writ is taken on the basis of documents provided only by the creditor (an MFO or a bank). “The making by a notary of a writ of execution on a loan agreement does not give rise to the creditor’s right to recover sums of money, but only confirms that such a right arose earlier and is valid at the time the writ of execution is made”, - this is how one of the legal positions of the Supreme […]
