The article highlights some aspects pertaining to the application of provisions of the Civil Code of Ukraine (Ukraine’s CC) and other legal and regulatory instruments comprised by national legislation for the purpose of regulating family relations.

The purpose of the article is to examine the issues arising where the provisions of such instruments are applied, on the example of separate family transactions.

Premised on the understanding of family law as an independent branch of Ukrainian law, the author shares the opinion of a number of Ukrainian scholars that the provisions of Ukraine’s CC are applied for regulation of family relations on a subsidiary basis, and not directly.

The author notes that in the judicial practice the requirement contained in Part 1, Article 9 of Ukraine’s CC is not always complied with; it prescribes that its provisions shall apply to regulate family relations where they are not regulated by other acts of legislation. This misunderstanding of the relationship between the provisions of Ukraine’s CC and the Family Code of Ukraine (Ukraine’s FC) where their provisions are applied to regulate family relations concerns, in particular, the specific aspects of invalidation of family transactions on the basis that in the relations there was no consent with regard to the exercise of the right to common joint property of spouses; with regard to management of property owned by a minor child; with regard to entering into a marriage contract before registration of marriage where its party is a minor, and etc.

The article pays particular attention to the consent of parents, other legal representatives or a child, the absence of which is not recognized by Ukraine’s FC as the reason for invalidation of agreements on child patronage, on placement of children in a foster family, on organization of operation of a family-type orphanage. The specific feature of these agreements is that by their legal nature and essence they are not family-law agreements in the narrow sense and, therefore, in the author’s opinion, may be invalidated on the grounds prescribed by Ukraine’s CC.

 Currently existing laws and regulations of family law, with a large number of their provisions having public nature, in the same manner as provisions of Ukraine’s FC, confirm the conclusion that family law may not be recognized as a sub-branch of civil law as private law, but is an independent branch of Ukrainian law comprising private-law (primarily) and public-law (which, in fact, serve family relations) provisions.

List of legal documents

Legislation

1. Pro derzhavnu dopomohu simiam z ditmy [On the State Assistance for Families with Children]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 21 lystopada 1992 r. № 2811-XII <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2811-12> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

2. Pro derzhavnu reiestratsiiu aktiv tsyvilnoho stanu [On Public Registration of Civil Status Acts]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 1 lypnia 2010 r. № 2398-VI <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2398-17> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

3. Pro mizhnarodne pryvatne pravo [On International Private Law]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 23 chervnia 2005 r. № 2709-IV <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/2709-15> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

4. Pro okhoronu dytynstva [On Child Protection]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 26 kvitnia 2001 r. № 2402-III <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2402-14> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

5. Pro poperedzhennia nasylstva v simi [On Prevention of Domestic Violence]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 15 lystopada 2001 r. № 2789-III <http://zakon.rada. gov.ua/laws/show/2789-14> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

6. Pro sotsialno-ekonomichnu pidtrymku stanovlennia ta rozvytku studentskoi simi [On Social and Economic Support for the Establishment and Development of a Student Family]: Ukaz Prezydenta Ukrainy [Decree of the President of Ukraine] vid 4 serpnia 2000 r. № 958/2000 <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/958/2000> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

7. Pro zakhody shchodo pidtrymky stanovlennia ta rozvytku studentskoi simi [On Measures for Supporting the Establishment and Development of a Student Family]: Rozporiadzhennia Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy [Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine] vid 14 bereznia 2001 r. № 92-r <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/922001-r> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

8. Pro zatverdzhennia Polozhennia pro dytiachyi budynok simeinoho typu [On Approval of the Regulations on Family-Type Orphanage]: postanova Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy [Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine] vid 26 kvitnia 2002 r. № 564 <http:// zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/564-2002-p> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

9. Pro zatverdzhennia Polozhennia pro pryiomnu simiu [On Approval of the Regulations on Foster Family]: postanova Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy [Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine] vid 26 kvitnia 2002 r. № 565 <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/565-2002-p> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

10. Pro zatverdzhennia Pravyl derzhavnoi reiestratsii aktiv hromadianskoho stanu [On Approval of the Rules for Public Registration of Civil Status Acts]: nakaz Ministerstva yustytsii Ukrainy [Order of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine] vid 18 zhovtnia 2000 r. № 52/5 (v red. nakazu vid 24 hrudnia 2010 r. № 3307/5) <http:// zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0719-00> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

11. Pro zatverdzhennia zrazkiv aktovykh zapysiv tsyvilnoho stanu, opysiv ta zrazkiv blankiv svidotstv pro derzhavnu reiestratsiiu aktiv tsyvilnoho stanu [On Approval of Sample Civil Status Act Records, Descriptions and Sample Forms of Certificates of Public Registration of Civil Status Acts]: postanova Kabinetu Ministriv Ukrainy [Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine] vid 10 lystopada 2010 r. № 1025 <http://zakon. rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1025-2010-p> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

12. Simeinyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Family Code of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 10 sichnia 2002 r. № 2947-III <https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2947-14> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

13. Tsyvilnyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Civil Code of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 16 sichnia 2003 r. № 435-IV <https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/435-15> (accessed: 12.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

14. Tsyvilnyi protsesualnyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 18 bereznia 2004 r. № 1618-IV <http://zakon. rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1618-15> (accessed:13.02.2019) (in Ukrainian). Bibliography

Authored books

15. Romovska Z, Simeinyi kodeks Ukrainy: Naukovo-praktychnyi komentar [The Family Code of Ukraine: Scientific and Practical Commentary] (Pravova yednist 2009) (in Ukrainian).

Edited books

16. Borysova V ta Zhylinkova I (red), Simeine pravo Ukrainy: pidruchnyk [Family Law of Ukraine: Textbook] (Iurinkom Inter 2011) (in Ukrainian).

17. Chervonyi Yu (red), Naukovo-praktychnyi komentar Simeinoho kodeksu Ukrainy [Scientific and Practical Commentary on the Family Code of Ukraine] (Iurinkom Inter 2008) (in Ukrainian).

18. Zhylinkova I, ‘Rehuliuvannia mainovykh vidnosyn u simi: tendentsii rozvytku tsyvilnoho ta simeinoho zakonodavstva’ [‘Regulation of Property Relations in the Family: Trends in the Development of Civil and Family Law’] v Kuznietsova N (red), Pravova systema Ukrainy: istoriia, stan ta perspektyvy [Legal System of Ukraine: History, Current Situation and Prospects], t 3: Tsyvilno-pravovi nauky. Pryvatne pravo [Civil Law Sciences. Private Law] (Pravo 2008) (in Ukrainian).

Materials conference

19. Bodnar T, ‘K voprosu o meste semeynogo prava v sisteme prava Ukrainy’ [‘More on the Place of Family Law in the System of Law of Ukraine’] v Aktualni problemy tsyvilnoho, simeinoho ta mizhnarodnoho pryvatnoho prava (Matvieievski tsyvilistychni chytannia). Materialy mizhnarodnoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii [Topical Issues of Civil, Family and Private International Law (Matveev Civil Readings): Materials of the International Scientific and Practical Conference] (2010) (in Ukrainian).

20. Borysova V, ‘Dohovir u simeino-pravovii sferi’ [‘Contract in the Family Law Domain’] v Aktualni problemy pryvatnoho prava: dohovir yak pravova forma rehuliuvannia pryvatnykh vidnosyn: materialy naukovo-praktynoi konferentsii, prysviachenoi 95-y richnytsi z dnia narodzhennia doktora yurydychnykh nauk, profesora, chlenakorespondenta AN URSR V. P. Maslova [Topical Issues of Private Law: Contract as a Legal Form Regulating Private Relations: Materials of Scientific and Practical Conference Dedicated to the 95th Birth Anniversary of Doctor Habil. of Law, Professor, Corresponding Member of the UkSSR Academy of Sciences V. P. Maslov] (Pravo 2017) (in Russian).