Most cases are lost before the hearing rather than in it: a missed deadline, the wrong jurisdiction, evidence gathered in a way the court cannot accept. This is almost impossible to put right on appeal, because an appellate court will not admit new evidence until you show you could not have filed it earlier for good reason.
A litigation lawyer is most useful while the strategy is still open: whether to file now or wait, whether to seek interim relief, whether to settle or fight to the cassation court. After the first judgment the toolkit narrows to an appeal.
We run cases in courts of every instance: civil, commercial, administrative and criminal. We start with the arithmetic: what can realistically be recovered, over what period and at what cost.
The cases we handle
Civil
Civil: division of property, inheritance, recovery of debts under promissory notes, compensation for damage, housing and land disputes, protection of honour and dignity.
Commercial
Commercial: recovering debts from counterparties, having contracts declared invalid, corporate disputes, insolvency.
Administrative
Administrative: challenging decisions of state authorities, tax disputes, pension cases, challenging recruitment-office fines, customs disputes.
Criminal
Criminal: defending suspects and defendants, representing victims, challenging a notice of suspicion, changing a preventive measure.
What is decided before the claim is filed
These decisions shape the outcome more than eloquence at the hearing.
Jurisdiction
The same dispute may fall to the civil or the commercial courts depending on who the parties are. Get it wrong and the court closes the proceedings while the deadline runs on.
Deadlines
The general limitation period is three years (Art. 257 of the Civil Code), but many claims have special deadlines: one year for contractual penalties (Art. 258(2)(1)), six months to apply to an administrative court and one month after administrative appeal of a tax notice-decision, ten days to challenge a ruling in an administrative offence case (Art. 289 of the Code of Administrative Offences), including recruitment-office and traffic fines. Separately: limitation periods suspended during quarantine and martial law resumed running on 4 September 2025.
Interim relief
If there is a risk the respondent will move assets, the application to freeze them is filed with the claim, not after you win. Otherwise you end up with a judgment and no money.
Evidence
The court considers what is filed on time and in the proper form. Correspondence, audio recordings, valuers’ reports and expert opinions are gathered before filing, because later the court is entitled to refuse them.
How long litigation takes
| Stage | Statutory period | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory proceedings | up to 60 days | 2–4 months |
| Hearing on the merits | 30 days | 2–6 months |
| First instance overall | — | 6–12 months |
| Appeal | — | 3–6 months |
| Cassation | — | 6–12 months |
| Enforcement | — | from 1 month to years |
Simplified (small-claim) proceedings are faster: up to 60 days from the date they open (Art. 275 of the Civil Procedure Code). The appeal deadline depends on the jurisdiction: 30 days from the date judgment is announced in civil and administrative cases (Art. 354 CPC, Art. 295 CAP) and 20 days in commercial ones (Art. 256 of the Commercial Procedure Code).
These figures are not an argument against litigation but a reason to do the maths. A settlement at 70 % of the sum signed in two months is often worth more than a judgment for 100 % obtained in two years and enforced by half.
What happens after you win
A judgment does not by itself produce money: enforcement proceedings follow, with a search for the debtor’s accounts and assets, seizure and recovery. Part of the victories are lost at this stage, because the debtor formally “has nothing”.
So we plan enforcement before the claim is filed: we check the respondent’s assets in the registers, assess the risk of them being moved and, where needed, apply for interim relief straight away. If the check shows there is nothing to recover from, you learn that before paying the court fee and can choose another route — from pre-action negotiations to a demand against a guarantor or a property guarantor.
Court fees in 2026
The subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons is 3,328 UAH. The rates are calculated from it:
| Type of claim | Rate | Amount in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Civil, monetary (individual) | 1 % of the value of the claim | from 1,331.20 to 16,640 UAH |
| Civil, non-monetary (individual) | 0.4 of the subsistence minimum | 1,331.20 UAH |
| Commercial, monetary | 1.5 % of the value of the claim | min. 3,328 UAH |
| Commercial, non-monetary | 1 subsistence minimum | 3,328 UAH |
| Administrative, non-monetary (individual) | 0.4 of the subsistence minimum | 1,331.20 UAH |
| Appeal | 150 % of the claim rate | — |
| Cassation appeal | 200 % of the claim rate | — |
Filing through the Electronic Court gives a 20 % discount: the rate is multiplied by 0.8. If you win, the court fee and legal costs are recovered from the respondent in proportion to the claims granted.
When you do not need a lawyer
You may represent yourself in any case: Art. 58 of the Civil Procedure Code expressly allows it. In small claims and employment disputes the law goes further and allows a representative without an advocate’s licence (Art. 60(2)). Where the sum at stake is small this is sensible: when the cost of defending exceeds the claim, litigating makes no financial sense, and we show you that calculation at the consultation.
A litigation lawyer is needed when:
- the amount at stake is comparable to the cost of the defence, or greater;
- the other side is a bank, an insurer, a state authority or a lawyer;
- a deadline is running out, or you are unsure when it started;
- there is a risk the respondent will move assets;
- an expert report is needed: forensic, valuation, psychiatric or construction;
- the case has already been lost at first instance and an appeal has to be prepared;
- it is a criminal matter, where a defence lawyer is needed from the first minute.
A case from our practice
In 2024 a businessman came to us: a counterparty had not paid for equipment worth 1,200,000 UAH; there was a contract and signed delivery notes, but the debtor pleaded lack of funds. Before filing we checked the assets in the registers and saw that the company had one vehicle left, while the real estate had already been transferred to a related party. We filed the claim together with an application for interim relief, the court froze the accounts, and only then did the debtor start negotiating. The parties signed a settlement for 880,000 UAH payable over four months, and the court approved it. Six months passed between the first consultation and the final payment, whereas the usual route through judgment, appeal and enforcement would have taken two years with no guarantee of recovery (details changed).
How we work
- Assessment of prospects: what evidence exists, what will have to be proved, what result is realistic and over what period.
- Strategy: jurisdiction, the claims to bring, the value of the claim, whether interim relief is needed.
- Gathering evidence: lawyer’s requests, registry extracts, instructing experts.
- Procedural documents: the claim, the defence, applications, motions, appeals and cassation appeals.
- Representation at first instance, on appeal and in cassation.
- Enforcement: working with the state or private bailiff through to an actual result.
Cost of services
The last line means that 100,000 UAH is the minimum value of a dispute for which this arrangement is possible; the fee under it is paid once the agreed result is achieved. Separately from the fee you pay the court fee from the table above (1,331.20 UAH for a non-monetary civil claim by an individual, from 1,331.20 to 16,640 UAH for a monetary one, 3,328 UAH for a non-monetary claim in a commercial court, 20 % less through the Electronic Court), expert reports, valuations and the advance payment in enforcement proceedings.
Questions and answers (Litigation lawyer)
Can I file a claim if I cannot afford the court fee?
Yes. An application to defer the fee, pay it in instalments or reduce it in the light of your means is filed with the claim (Art. 8 of the Law “On Court Fees”), supported by income certificates, family details and loan commitments. Some claimants are exempt altogether: among them those recovering wages, child maintenance or compensation for harm caused by a criminal offence.
Can legal costs be recovered from the respondent?
Yes. If you win, the court awards professional legal costs against the losing party, checking that they are proportionate to the complexity of the case. For that you must file the engagement agreement, a detailed description of the work and the payment documents before the hearing ends; without them the court will not award costs, even if the claim succeeds in full.
Do I have to attend hearings myself?
No. A lawyer’s authority is confirmed by a warrant or power of attorney (Art. 62(4) of the Civil Procedure Code) and they act in your place. Attending in person is only needed in particular situations: where the court summons a party to give explanations, or where you appear as a witness in your own case.
The court is in another city. Will I have to travel there?
Usually not. You can attend by video link from another court building or from your own device through the Electronic Court, which requires a separate application in advance. Documents are also filed through the electronic cabinet, so we run cases anywhere in the country without constant travel, agreeing any trips separately.
What does it cost to recover the money after judgment?
To open enforcement proceedings, the creditor pays an advance of 2 % of the sum to be recovered, capped at ten minimum wages (86,470 UAH in 2026, at a minimum wage of 8,647 UAH). The 10 % enforcement fee is charged to the debtor. The advance is returned to the creditor at the debtor’s expense once the judgment is actually enforced.
Contact a litigation lawyer at Svarog
Describe the situation at a consultation: we will assess the prospects, work out the timescale and the full cost (fee, court fee, expert reports) and set out both scenarios in figures — litigation and settlement. We check the other side’s assets before filing, so you can see whether there will be anything to recover.