Attorney Escrow (Advokátní Úschova) in Prague. Secure Settlement for Transactions.
Attorney Escrow in the Czech Republic: Funds Held by a Lawyer Until the Conditions Are Met
- The buyer’s money is held in a separate lawyer’s account and released to the seller only once the contract conditions are met.
- Property purchases, sales of shares in companies, advance payments on large contracts, dispute settlements.
- An escrow agreement with clear release conditions agreed by the parties in advance.
- Work with foreign buyers and investors: verification of the source of funds and payments from abroad.
Attorney escrow solves the situation where one party does not want to pay before the other performs, and the other does not want to perform without a guarantee of payment. We prepare the escrow agreement, receive the money in a separate account and release it strictly according to the agreed conditions, for example after the ownership right is registered in the Land Registry.
Attorney registered with the Czech Bar Association (ČAK).
Our Services
→ Escrow for Real Estate Transactions
- Escrow agreement between the buyer, the seller and the lawyer
- Agreeing the release conditions: registration with the Land Registry, handover of the property, release of encumbrances
- Settlement of the purchase price for apartments, houses, land and commercial property
- Coordination with the bank, the Land Registry and the notary
→ Escrow for Corporate and Commercial Transactions
- Escrow of the purchase price on the sale of shares and interests in companies
- A retained part of the price during due diligence (hold-back) and under M&A transaction terms
- Escrow of advance payments and security deposits on large contracts
- Escrow within out-of-court and court settlement of disputes
→ Verification and Transaction Support
- Identification of the parties and verification of the source of funds as required by law
- Preparing the agreement and agreeing the conditions and the release procedure
- Monitoring the fulfilment of conditions and releasing the funds as agreed
- Support for foreign parties: payments from abroad, documents in several languages
What We Will Need From You
- The contract or draft contract the escrow relates to
- Details of the parties: ID document or company documents
- The amount, the currency and the conditions on which the money is to be released
- Evidence of the source of funds (as required by the anti-money-laundering law)
- The recipient’s bank account details
Frequently Asked Questions
How does attorney escrow work in the Czech Republic?
The parties sign an escrow agreement with the lawyer. The buyer pays the money into a separate lawyer’s account designated for the escrow. The lawyer holds it and pays it to the recipient once the agreed conditions are met, for example when ownership is registered in the Land Registry. If the conditions are not met, the money is returned under the procedure the parties provided for in the agreement.
How much does attorney escrow cost?
There is no fixed tariff: the fee is agreed in advance and depends on the amount, the number of parties, the complexity of the release conditions and whether the escrow is part of broader transaction support. We quote the cost before work starts. The initial consultation costs €200 per hour plus VAT.
How are funds protected in attorney escrow?
Each escrow is held in a separate account marked as a lawyer’s escrow account, and every escrow is recorded in the electronic escrow register of the Czech Bar Association. Since 1 January 2026 the Bar Association has operated a Guarantee Fund, which pays compensation to those harmed by a lawyer’s criminal conduct in connection with an escrow, where the loss is not covered by the lawyer’s insurance. The limit is CZK 2.5 million per escrow, or CZK 5 million where the escrowed money is the purchase price of residential property. The fund applies to money accepted into escrow after 31 December 2025. The Bar Association publishes on its website a list of lawyers whose right to handle escrows has been suspended.
How does attorney escrow differ from notarial and bank escrow?
Notaries and banks offer the same purpose, holding money until conditions are met, under their own rules. Notarial services are charged under the notarial tariff, while a lawyer’s fee is agreed individually. Attorney escrow is more flexible in the release conditions and suits transactions with a more complex structure, such as the sale of a company or settlement in several steps.
Contact us about escrow: describe the transaction and we will propose the conditions and the release procedure. The earlier the transaction reaches a lawyer, the easier it is to agree the terms before the main contract is signed.
Legal Consultation Fee
200 € (initial consultation), then from €300/hour + VAT
Before commencing legal work, we require an advance payment corresponding to 10 hours of legal services. If fewer hours are ultimately required, the unused portion of the advance payment will be refunded to the client.
