Free legal aid—a government guarantee of equal opportunities

There are 100 local centers in Ukraine that provide free secondary legal aid, which consists of providing a lawyer, at the state’s expense, to vulnerable segments of the population

There are 100 local centers in Ukraine that provide free secondary legal aid, the purpose of which is to provide a lawyer, at the state’s expense, to vulnerable segments of the population.

Secondary legal aid includes:

1) representing a person in court in criminal cases.

2) representing a person’s interests in courts, other state bodies, local government bodies, and before other individuals; 

3) drafting procedural documents (e.g., a complaint) 

All of the above types of secondary legal aid are provided by a lawyer who has passed a competitive selection process and completed training; however, it is important to note that the right to free secondary legal aid is available to low-income and vulnerable segments of the population. 

According to statistics from the First Odessa Local Center for the Provision of Free Secondary Legal Aid, the following categories of people most frequently seek assistance: 

1) low-income individuals whose average monthly total official income for all family members living together, or persons with disabilities receiving a pension or assistance in lieu of a pension, is less than the lower subsistence minimum (1,074 UAH). For individuals unable to work, there is an exception—in the amount of less than two subsistence minimums—for all types of assistance;

2) orphans, children deprived of parental care, homeless children, and children who may become or have become victims of domestic violence—for all types of assistance;

3) refugees and internally displaced persons—representation of interests until a decision is made on granting refugee status or appealing a decision regarding refugee status;

4) war veterans and persons covered by the Law of Ukraine “On the Status of War Veterans and Guarantees of Their Social Protection,”  persons who have rendered special services and special labor contributions to the Motherland, and persons who are victims of Nazi persecution—for all types of legal assistance regarding issues related to their social protection.

If you fall into any of these categories, the final—but no less important—step for you is to submit your documents. In order for the center to be able to assign a lawyer, you must submit the following set of documents (originals):

1. passport;
2. tax identification number;
3. income statement from the tax office for the last 6 months or a statement from the pension fund for the last 6 months, a family composition certificate (Form No. 1) from the housing office (for low-income individuals);
4. certificate of pension or social assistance amount for the last 6 months and a certificate from the Medical and Social Examination Commission (for persons with disabilities);
5. certificate “On Seeking Protection in Ukraine” (for refugees).

Once the required documents have been submitted to the center’s staff, the citizen (foreign national, stateless person), now acting as a client, will be notified of the assignment of a lawyer to them.

We hope that the information provided above will help citizens with unresolved legal disputes determine their eligibility for free secondary legal aid and obtain qualified legal assistance. If you have any questions, the center’s staff will be happy to provide the necessary explanations by phone: (048) 732-18-37.

Chief Specialist of the Department

for Interaction with Providers

Free Primary Legal Aid

of the First Odessa Local Center for

Providing Free Secondary Legal Aid

Artur Ihorovych Aleksandrov