Debt Recovery Lawyer in Prague. Out-of-Court and Court Collection for Businesses.
Debt Recovery Lawyer in the Czech Republic
- Out-of-court recovery: pre-action demand, negotiation with the debtor, payment plan and security for the debt.
- Court recovery in the Czech Republic: claim or payment order, enforcement.
- Recovery from debtors abroad and recognition of foreign judgments in the Czech Republic.
- Debts owed to companies and entrepreneurs under contracts, invoices and deliveries.
We help companies and entrepreneurs get their money back when a business partner does not pay under a contract or an invoice. We first assess how realistic recovery is: who the debtor is, whether it has assets, whether the documents are sufficient and whether a limitation period is running. Then we choose the route: negotiation, payment order, court claim or enforcement.
Attorney registered with the Czech Bar Association (ČAK).
Our Services
→ Out-of-Court Recovery
- Assessment of the claim: documents, limitation, the debtor’s solvency
- Pre-action demand (předžalobní výzva) stating the principal, default interest and the costs of recovery
- Negotiation with the debtor, payment plan, acknowledgement of the debt and security for it
- Preparation for court if the debtor does not respond
→ Court Recovery and Enforcement
- Court claim or application for a payment order, including an electronic one
- Representation before Czech courts if the debtor objects
- Enforcement through a court enforcement officer (exekutor): attachment of bank accounts, wages and assets
- A creditor’s insolvency petition against the debtor as leverage and protection of the claim, where appropriate
→ Recovery Abroad
- Determining which court has jurisdiction over a dispute with a foreign debtor
- European order for payment, and recognition of EU court judgments in the Czech Republic and of Czech judgments abroad
- Recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards in the Czech Republic
- Recovery outside the EU: the procedure depends on the debtor’s country and on international treaties
What We Will Need From You
- The contract or order the debt arises from
- Invoices, acceptance protocols, delivery notes, proof of delivery of goods or services
- Correspondence with the debtor, payment reminders and any acknowledgement of the debt
- The debtor’s details: name, company ID (IČO), address, commercial register extract
- The due date and information on any partial payments
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to enforce a debt in court?
The general limitation period in the Czech Republic is three years, and the absolute maximum is ten years. It usually starts from the date the debt should have been paid. The sooner recovery begins, the better: filing a claim suspends the running of the period while the proceedings last, and the debtor’s acknowledgement of the debt restarts it.
What interest and costs can I claim from the debtor?
Besides the principal, you can claim default interest. The statutory rate is the Czech National Bank repo rate in force on the first day of the calendar half-year in which the delay arose, plus eight percentage points, unless the contract provides otherwise. For debts between businesses, you can also claim compensation for recovery costs of at least CZK 1,200 per overdue claim.
What if the debtor is abroad?
We first establish where you can sue and where the judgment will be enforced. Within the EU there is a simplified European order for payment procedure for uncontested monetary claims. Judgments of EU courts are recognised without a separate recognition procedure, but enforcement still has to be applied for. Outside the EU, the procedure depends on the debtor’s country.
Contact us for a consultation on recovering a debt in the Czech Republic or abroad. The sooner we receive your documents, the more options we have: in some cases neither the limitation period nor the debtor’s assets will wait.
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.
