Statement of claim to a civil court

When you need it

A statement of claim (позовна заява) is how you ask a court to protect a violated right: debt recovery, damages, property or contract disputes, family and housing matters.

Where and how to file

As a general rule the claim is filed where the defendant resides or is located (art. 27 of the Code); for certain categories (alimony, divorce, consumer protection, damages) art. 28 lets you file where you live.

You can file on paper via the court office or by post, or online through the "E-Court" subsystem (cabinet.court.gov.ua) of the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunication System. You log in with a qualified electronic signature (QES) or via Diia.Signature; the system runs 24/7, and filing a claim through E-Court applies a 0.8 coefficient (20% off) to the court fee for many claim types. Attach copies of the claim and the evidence for the other parties.

What it must contain

Art. 175 of the Civil Procedure Code sets the mandatory content. Among other things:

• the name of the court;
• full details of the claimant and the defendant (names, addresses, tax/registration codes if known, contact details);
• the amount in dispute (for monetary claims) with a reasoned calculation;
• the circumstances you rely on and the evidence supporting them;
• the precise relief you are asking the court to grant;
• information about pre-trial settlement steps and evidence preservation (if any);
• the list of annexes, proof of court-fee payment, date and signature.

Court fee

Rates are set by the Law "On Court Fees" and depend on the type of claim. Some claimants (consumers, alimony claimants) are exempt.

What happens next

Within five days the court decides whether to open proceedings. A claim that does not meet the requirements is "left without movement" with a deadline to fix defects — so check the mandatory elements up front.

Legal basis

• Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine, arts. 27, 28, 175–177;
• Law of Ukraine "On Court Fees".