Assistance with the preparation of inheritance documents

Establishing the facts of birth or death in the non-government controlled areas is one of the most common problems of internally displaced persons.

The lawyers of the SICH Human Rights Group, a DRC partner, are approached by people whose relatives and friends died in the non-government controlled area. Under martial law, many people find it difficult to obtain documents confirming the birth or death of people in the uncontrolled territories.

In September 2023, Oleksandra, an IDP from Irmino, Luhansk Oblast, turned to the lawyers of SICH. Previously, she wanted to inherit her grandmother's estate through a notary, but was denied due to the lack of a death certificate of the form required by Ukrainian law.

The lawyers helped her draft an application to the court to establish the fact of death and explained the further procedure for registering this fact, obtaining a death certificate, and further steps. Currently, the fact of Oleksandra's death has been established, she has already received a death certificate, inherited the property and received a burial allowance.

We would like to remind you that in the absence of the originals of any medical documents on death in the uncontrolled territory, the fact of death is established in court, and persons are exempt from paying court fees.

The provision of free legal aid to IDPs in Dnipropetrovs'k region was made possible by the cooperation of the SICH Human Rights Group with the Danish Refugee Council and funding from the European Union's civil protection and humanitarian aid.