Establishing the fact of death, obtaining a death certificate in the occupied territory

The grandmother of one of the recipients of assistance died in the territory occupied by the Russian Federation. The woman wanted to register her grandmother's death and formalize her inheritance in Ukraine, but faced difficulties due to the lack of original documents confirming the fact of death.

She turned to a lawyer from the STEP NGO for support. The specialist explained in detail the procedure, terms of obtaining a death certificate and other necessary procedures.

During the consultation, it became clear that the woman really did not have the original documents that would allow her to register her grandmother's death directly at the Civil Registry Office (RACS).

The lawyer helped to collect the necessary evidence and drafted a statement to the court in a separate proceeding to establish the fact of death. The court opened the proceedings and fully satisfied the application. Based on the court's decision, the woman was able to register the fact of her death with the registry office and received a death certificate.

Now she has the opportunity to exercise her right to inherit after her grandmother in accordance with the current legislation.

Legal aid in Zaporizhzhia region was made possible thanks to the cooperation of STEP with the Danish Refugee Council and funding from the European Union.