The UNBA is expanding its legal support services for war victims

The UNBA Committee on the protection of victims of armed aggression against Ukraine, compensation mechanisms and European integration legal support for recovery continues its work on assistance programs for military personnel, veterans, their family members and businesses that have suffered damage as a result of the war.

This was discussed during a Committee meeting held on June 2 at the office of the Ukrainian National Bar Association.

Committee chairman Andriy Yermak reported that following a previous meeting in Mykolaiv, 11 specific proposals were finalized and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers and relevant ministries. According to him, the Committee’s approach is not merely to identify problematic issues but to offer ready-made solutions.

One of the issues discussed was the development of the «Advocate+» project. This involves assigning lawyers to military brigades to provide primary legal assistance to servicemembers and their families. Participants reviewed the received requests, feedback, and the readiness of new brigades to join the project.

It was noted that service members’ inquiries are not limited to military service, medical boards, payments, or transfers. A significant portion of the requests concern family, inheritance, and credit issues, as well as enforcement proceedings and other life situations.

Participants also presented the digital platform for the «Advocate+» project. Through it, users will be able to submit requests for initial consultations, and lawyers will process them via a CRM-system. The platform includes a knowledge base, reviews, and a mechanism for onboarding new lawyers.

Cooperation in the field of veteran policy was also discussed, specifically tailored communication with veterans, methodological guidelines, support for veterans’ return to the legal profession, and interaction with local veteran councils.

Participants emphasized that veteran policy must be shaped with the actual needs of military personnel in mind. Therefore, it was proposed to gather feedback directly within the brigades to understand what solutions military personnel expect from the state after completing their service.

Regarding affected businesses, event participants addressed topics such as documenting losses, preparing evidence, enforcing court decisions, international compensation mechanisms, and reviewing specific cases. To this end, proposals were made to identify international companies and jurisdictions with which to begin working on the recognition and enforcement of judgments.

Another result of the collaboration was a legal guide for servicemembers of the National Guard of Ukraine — the third issue of thematic materials and the first guide prepared as part of the cooperation between the UNBA and the Main Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine.

The next meeting of the Committee will take place in Dnipro. Planned next steps include visits to brigades, expanding the «Advocate+» platform, reviewing cases involving affected businesses, and continuing the preparation of practical guides.