13/01/2026
When a child's father is abroad, establishing paternity through Ukrainian courts becomes significantly more complex. The procedural challenges affect both situations: when the father seeks to acknowledge paternity and when the mother files a lawsuit against him.
DNA testing remains the gold standard for proving paternity, but collecting biological samples across borders presents serious practical obstacles. Ukrainian courts have issued judicial requests to Poland, Netherlands, and Switzerland—yet none have produced actual results. Cases drag on for years without resolution.
Our new article examines the current state of cross-border paternity cases in Ukraine. We analyze actual court decisions, explain the judicial request mechanism and why it often fails, and detail alternative evidence that can establish paternity when DNA testing proves impossible.
The article covers jurisdiction rules, service of process requirements for defendants abroad, and Supreme Court rulings from 2024-2025 that clarify when a party's failure to participate in examination constitutes evasion versus facing objective obstacles.
Link to the full article:
Establishing paternity through court when the father is abroad involves unique procedural challenges. This article covers court procedures, DNA...
