A lawyer helped obtain a Ukrainian death certificate for a man who died in the occupied territory

In September, Raisa*, a resident of the village of Novoiehorivka, turned to the Charitable Organization Caritas Kharkiv for assistance. Her husband had died in the occupied territory, where the local occupation authorities issued a death certificate. However, this document has no legal force in Ukraine, which prevented Raisa from initiating inheritance procedures. 

She sought help from Andrii, a lawyer at Caritas Kharkiv, who explained how to act in such a situation and assisted in preparing all the necessary documents. Since Ukrainian authorities do not recognize documents issued by occupying authorities, the lawyer prepared an appeal to the court to officially establish the fact of death. 

The court reviewed the case and ruled in Raisa’s favor. As a result, she was able to register her husband’s death with the Ukrainian Civil Status Registration Office and obtain an official Ukrainian death certificate. 

Now, Raisa can proceed with the inheritance process and resolve other legal matters. 

The Charitable Foundation Caritas Kharkiv provides free legal aid to people affected by the war in cooperation with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) thanks to financial support from the European Union.

* The name has been changed to protect personal data.