Legal Services
in France
Full legal support in both jurisdictions: Ukraine + France.
Immigration law in France
From temporary protection to French citizenship
The French immigration authorities (Préfecture, OFII, OFPRA) are known for their formality. Several routes to legalization are available to Ukrainians: Protection Temporaire, Titre de séjour, Passeport Talent, asile (refugee status), and regularization.
- Extending Protection Temporaire (temporary protection)
- Transitioning to a Titre de séjour (various grounds: employment, study, family, business)
- Passeport Talent for highly qualified professionals and entrepreneurs
- Carte de Résident (10-year residence permit) after 5 years
- Family reunification (regroupement familial)
- Asile through OFPRA (refugee status)
- Regularization for those without legal status
- Appealing Préfecture refusals to issue or extend a residence permit
- Challenging an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory)
- Naturalization — French citizenship
Family matters between Ukraine and France
French family law (Code civil, Livre Ier) is among the most sophisticated in Europe. Divorce can proceed by mutual consent, by acceptance of the breakdown, on grounds of fault, or after two years of separation. Spousal support is not based on fixed amounts — every case is decided individually by the JAF (Juge aux affaires familiales).
- Divorce from a Ukrainian spouse
- Divorce from a French citizen or a citizen of another EU country
- Divorce without the consent of the second spouse
- Cross-border collection of child support (pension alimentaire)
- Division of property (liquidation du régime matrimonial)
- Marriage contracts (contrat de mariage)
- Recognition of a Ukrainian divorce in France
- PACS (civil union) for Ukrainians
- Parental authority (autorité parentale), visitation rights (droit de visite)
- Court permission to leave Ukraine with a child without the consent of the second parent
- Response to child abduction under the Hague Convention
- Establishing or contesting paternity
- Adoption of a child from Ukraine
Labor law
Protecting employees in France
French labor law (Code du travail) is renowned for its strong protection of employees. Dismissal requires a clear procedure, severance is always guaranteed, and unions are powerful. Ukrainians often face the nuances of CDI (open-ended) versus CDD (fixed-term) contracts.
- Reviewing and translating an employment contract
- Challenging unlawful dismissal (licenciement abusif) before the Conseil de prud'hommes
- Recovery of unpaid wages
- Disputes regarding CDD, CDI, and rupture conventionnelle
- Protection from harcèlement (mobbing) and discrimination
- Compensation for workplace injuries
- Working time (durée du travail) and paid leave (congés payés)
- Preserving residence status when changing employers
- Auto-entrepreneur (self-employment) matters
Business in France
SAS, SARL, relocation, investment
France is the second-largest EU market. Registering an SAS or SARL takes 1-2 weeks. Various tax regimes, business support programs (BPI France), and the Crédit Impôt Recherche are available. Paris is a global arbitration hub (ICC).
- Registration of SAS, SARL, SA, and SCI entities
- Auto-entrepreneur status (for the self-employed)
- Business residence permits (Passeport Talent — entrepreneur, business angel, innovation)
- Relocating a Ukrainian business to France
- M&A: due diligence, SPA, registration of changes
- Corporate advisory
- Supply, distribution, and agency agreements
- Debt collection from French counterparties
- Debt collection from Ukrainian counterparties
- ICC arbitration in Paris
- Cour internationale d'arbitrage
- Trademark registration with the INPI and the EUIPO
Real estate, criminal cases, inheritance
France allows foreigners to purchase real estate without restriction. Transactions are executed before a notaire and registered in the Cadastre.
- Real estate: purchases of apartments and houses (Paris, the French Riviera), transactional due diligence, notarial deeds, landlord disputes
- Mortgage financing for foreigners
- Criminal cases: defense in proceedings, challenging fines, OQTF risk arising from criminal offenses
- Inheritance: handling Ukrainian estates for those living in France, the European Certificate of Succession, minimizing droits de succession
- Financial law: bank disputes, FICP (debt registry) issues, personal bankruptcy
Two Jurisdictions — One Team
Two jurisdictions — one team
Our attorneys are licensed in the country of presence and also versed in Ukrainian law. No need to retain a second lawyer.
95% of cases resolved in the client's favor
We do not take on hopeless cases and speak honestly about the chances during the consultation.
Transparent pricing with no surprises
Fixed service packages and upfront cost estimates before signing the engagement.
eAdvokat mobile app
Full online control of your case, 24/7 communication with your attorney, and documents in a secure environment.
A Clear 4-Step Process
Consultation
A 15-30 minute session in which we review your situation together and propose an action plan with a timeline and budget estimate.
Strategy
A clear action plan, timelines, risks, and budget. You know exactly what comes next.
Execution
The team handles the case with full oversight at every stage through our CRM system.
Reporting
Case closure, signed acts of completion, and full reporting on the work performed.
Адвокатське об'єднання "Захист", Французький окружний відділ
Гайдамака Катерина Олексіївна
Керівник Французького окружного відділу Міжнародного управління Адвокатського об’єднання «Захист»
Address:
м. Париж, проспект Опера (avenue de l’Opéra) 27, офіс № 409
Landmark:
семиповерхова офісна будівля "Regus Opéra", на avenue de l'Opéra, 27, 4-й поверх, 1- й округ Парижу, між Лувром та Оперою Гарньє, поряд із магазином Monoprix, станція метро «Pyramides» (лінії 7 та 14)
Ready to Start Working with Us?
Zahist Law Firm stands beside you in France — a legal bridge between Ukraine and France.
