In June 2025, the National Association of Lawyers of Ukraine (NAU) presented methodological recommendations “Preparation and Submission of a Statement of Claim in Commercial Proceedings”. The document, developed by the NAU Committee on Commercial Law and Procedure, aims to help lawyers avoid common mistakes and improve the quality of legal assistance.
Key Points
A statement of claim is more than just a formality. It is the central tool for exercising the right to defense. However, lawyers often face problems, from incorrect formulation of claims to errors in attachments.
Authoring Team: Hanna Osetynska, Dmytro Velychko, Oleh Kulyk, Liubov Bartashchuk, Halyna Boyko, Vadym Popko, Tetiana Proskurnia, Nadiia Tarasova – practitioners who deeply understand the realities of commercial proceedings.
Practical Recommendations:
- how to formulate claim demands;
- how to identify factual and legal grounds for the claim;
- how to correctly determine the claim amount and justify calculations;
- how to identify the proper parties to the dispute and involve other participants;
- how to submit a statement of claim with proper documentation of evidence and attachments;
- how to confirm the representative’s authority;
- how to avoid common deficiencies that lead to refusal to open proceedings.
Figures and Highlights:
- 80% of mistakes made by lawyers in preparing a statement of claim are related to formal requirements: incorrect details, inaccurate sum calculations, discrepancies in attachments.
- 60% of cases of refusal to open proceedings could have been avoided with more thorough preparation of the claim.
Additional in the manual:
- analysis of the current positions of the Supreme Court;
- examples of document formatting;
- recommendations on applying standards (including DSTU 4163:2020) when preparing a statement of claim.
NAU emphasizes that a professionally drafted statement of claim is not just a formal requirement, but a demonstration of the lawyer’s respect for the court and their client.
Download the methodological recommendations on the NAU website