Draft bill #12252 of November 27, 2024 

Cosponsors: a group of 28 MPs from the Holos, Servant of the People, and European Solidarity factions with Inna Sovsun as the first signatory 

Status: sent for review to the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy 

Who is affected: persons wishing to enter into a registered partnership 

Summary: 

  • the institution of registered partnerships will be introduced: a civil status allowing two adults to officially register their relationship. It will be recognized by the state and confirmed as a legal bond defining their mutual rights and obligations 
  • registered partnership will not be equal to marriage and will not prevent the partners from marrying. If registered partners marry, the registered partnership between them will be terminated 
  • the Family Code will regulate, among other things, relations between registered partners 
  • the provisions governing the rights and obligations of parents who are not married will apply to the regulation of registered partners’ rights and obligations as parents 
  • to register a partnership, a joint application and documents will have to be submitted to a civil registry office or via Diia 
  • during the martial law: 
    • an application for partnership registration can be submitted via the commander of a military unit or the head of a hospital or another military medical establishment who will certify the authenticity of the partners’ signatures 
    • it is possible to register a partnership without the personal presence of one partner if they are a service member 
  • state registration of the partnership will be conducted after 10 days from the submission of the relevant application 
  • registration of a registered partnership will grant additional rights and put additional obligations on the partners, but it will not be allowed to use it as grounds for restricting human rights and freedoms 
  • registered partners will be considered close relatives and acquire the status of first-degree relatives in relation to each other 
  • a registered partnership will be declared void if: 
    • one of the partners is under 18 years old 
    • one of the partners is already in another registered partnership or marriage 
    • the partners are close relatives (e.g., parent and child, uncle and niece, cousins) or if one is an adoptive parent and the adopted child 
    • one partner has been declared incapable (unable to make decisions due to health reasons) 
  • registered partners will have the right to: 
    • divide shared property 
    • getting pension 
    • maternity leave after the birth of a child (when the partner gives birth) 
    • compensation for damages due to the Chernobyl disaster, if the partner has not remarried or registered another partnership 
    • monetary support for the families of service members who are prisoners of war 
    • one-time monetary assistance for a deceased service member partner, if the partner has not remarried or registered another partnership 
    • deferment from conscription for active service if the registered partner is pregnant 
    • exemption from military service if the individual is engaged in constant care for a registered partner with a disability 
    • assistance in adoption 
    • issuance of a certificate of ownership for shared property 
    • property of two individuals living as a family but not in a registered partnership 
    • official identification of the body, participation in the investigation and establishment of the cause of death, issuing instructions for the transfer of the body to scientific or educational establishments, and obtaining the body from the morgue for burial or cremation of the other registered partner in the event of sudden death 
    • burial next to the other registered partner in family burial sites 
    • compensation in case of death of a registered partner who is a victim 
    • registered partners will be allowed to enter into a registered partnership agreement 
  • the registered partnership will be terminated: 
    • if one of the partners dies or declared deceased 
    • due to dissolution of the partnership by mutual agreement or by a court decision 
    • as a result of marriage between the partners 

What is right: 

  • the bill affirms the principles of equality and non-discrimination, making society more inclusive 
  • the bill establishes a new institution: registered partnerships 

Why this is important: 

Many couples face issues regarding inheritance, obtaining medical information, or making decisions in emergencies due to the absence of a legal relation. The legal foundation of the partnership closes these gaps, allowing partners to resolve critical issues more easily. In addition, registered partnership offers a more neutral and modern form of relationship recognition.