{"id":3535,"date":"2026-07-12T22:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svaroglaw.com\/advokat-u-sudovih-spravah\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T14:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T11:55:21","slug":"advokat-u-sudovih-spravah","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/svaroglaw.com\/en\/advokat-u-sudovih-spravah\/","title":{"rendered":"Litigation lawyer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/p>\n

<\/svg>+38 095 554-54-24<\/span><\/a>legal consultation<\/span><\/div>\n

The cases we handle<\/h2>\n
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Civil<\/h3>

Civil<\/a>: division of property, inheritance, recovery of debts under promissory notes, compensation for damage, housing and land disputes, protection of honour and dignity.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Commercial<\/h3>

Commercial<\/a>: recovering debts from counterparties, having contracts declared invalid, corporate disputes, insolvency.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Administrative<\/h3>

Administrative<\/a>: challenging decisions of state authorities, tax disputes<\/a>, pension cases, challenging recruitment-office fines<\/a>, customs disputes.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Criminal<\/h3>

Criminal<\/a>: defending suspects and defendants, representing victims, challenging a notice of suspicion, changing a preventive measure<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/div>\n

What is decided before the claim is filed<\/h2>\n

These decisions shape the outcome more than eloquence at the hearing.<\/p>\n

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Jurisdiction<\/h3>

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.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Deadlines<\/h3>

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<\/a>, 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.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Interim relief<\/h3>

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.<\/p><\/div><\/article>

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Evidence<\/h3>

The court considers what is filed on time and in the proper form. Correspondence, audio recordings, valuers\u2019 reports and expert opinions are gathered before filing, because later the court is entitled to refuse them.<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/div>\n

How long litigation takes<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Stage<\/th>\nStatutory period<\/th>\nIn practice<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Preparatory proceedings<\/td>\nup to 60 days<\/td>\n2\u20134 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hearing on the merits<\/td>\n30 days<\/td>\n2\u20136 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
First instance overall<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n6\u201312 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Appeal<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n3\u20136 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cassation<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n6\u201312 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Enforcement<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\nfrom 1 month to years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What happens after you win<\/h2>\n

A judgment does not by itself produce money: enforcement proceedings follow, with a search for the debtor\u2019s accounts and assets, seizure and recovery. Part of the victories are lost at this stage, because the debtor formally \u201chas nothing\u201d.<\/p>\n

So we plan enforcement before the claim is filed: we check the respondent\u2019s 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 \u2014 from pre-action negotiations to a demand against a guarantor or a property guarantor.<\/p>\n

Court fees in 2026<\/h2>\n

The subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons is 3,328 UAH. The rates are calculated from it:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Type of claim<\/th>\nRate<\/th>\nAmount in 2026<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Civil, monetary (individual)<\/td>\n1 % of the value of the claim<\/td>\nfrom 1,331.20 to 16,640 UAH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Civil, non-monetary (individual)<\/td>\n0.4 of the subsistence minimum<\/td>\n1,331.20 UAH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commercial, monetary<\/td>\n1.5 % of the value of the claim<\/td>\nmin. 3,328 UAH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commercial, non-monetary<\/td>\n1 subsistence minimum<\/td>\n3,328 UAH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Administrative, non-monetary (individual)<\/td>\n0.4 of the subsistence minimum<\/td>\n1,331.20 UAH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Appeal<\/td>\n150 % of the claim rate<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cassation appeal<\/td>\n200 % of the claim rate<\/td>\n\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

When you do not need a lawyer<\/h2>\n

You may represent yourself in any case: Art. 58 of the Civil Procedure Code expressly allows it. In small claims and employment disputes<\/a> the law goes further and allows a representative without an advocate\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

A litigation lawyer is needed when:<\/p>\n