What Property Stays Separate in a Ukrainian Divorce? A Guide for Couples.

How Ukraine’s Family Code Governs Marital Property Division

According to TSN.ua: In Ukraine, the rules for dividing assets between spouses are laid out in the Family Code. Under its provisions, both husbands and wives are entitled to split property that qualifies as jointly owned. However, any assets that belong exclusively to one partner are not subject to division when the marriage ends.

According to Article 60 of Ukraine’s Family Code, everything purchased during the marriage is presumed to be shared property. Typical examples of joint assets include:

• vehicles and equipment;
• income earned while married;
• furniture;
• household appliances and other movable goods;
• money in bank accounts and savings;
• a business or stakes in entrepreneurial ventures;
• real estate bought during the marriage—apartments, houses, and land plots.

But some types of property are off-limits in a divorce settlement. These include:

• anything owned before the marriage was officially registered;
• assets acquired during the marriage through a gift contract or inheritance;
• property bought with personal funds;
• items for personal use;
• prizes, awards, and insurance payouts received for individual achievements;
• housing that one spouse privatized during the marriage.

New Digital Divorce Option on the Horizon

In the coming months, Ukrainians will be able to file for divorce through the Diia app. This government service is in its final development stages, and the cabinet has already approved the legal framework for its launch. This innovation is expected to streamline the divorce process and related legal steps.

Introducing a divorce option via the Diia app marks a major step toward simplifying administrative procedures in Ukraine. It promises to make the process more accessible and convenient for citizens looking to end their marriages, drastically cutting down on the need to visit government offices in person. Even so, property division will remain a critical issue, and resolving it—especially when distinguishing between joint and separate assets—may still require professional legal advice.