Lawyer in Prague — Child Custody and Support
A child living in Prague, or a parent based there who owes child support, both raise cross-border questions with their own EU-level rules.
Describe your caseQuick answers
- Where will custody be decided if the child lives in Prague?
- Generally the courts of the child's habitual residence — so a Czech court, if the child lives in Prague — decide, under the Brussels IIb Regulation, subject to exceptions depending on the facts.
- How do I enforce child support from a parent living in the Czech Republic?
- The EU maintenance framework provides a simplified process for recognizing and enforcing a maintenance decision from one member state in another — a lawyer or the relevant authority can help set out the exact steps.
What you can do now
- 1
Try to agree, and have the agreement approved
Parents can agree on who the child lives with, contact and maintenance. For a minor child the agreement must be approved by the court to be binding — an agreed proposal is much faster than a dispute.
- 2
Contact the child protection office (OSPOD)
The child protection office at your municipal office usually represents the child in court and gives parents free advice. It can also help you file the proposal to the court.
- 3
File for maintenance without delay
Child maintenance can be awarded from the day you file, and for up to three years back. Courts set it according to the child's needs and both parents' means, so keep proof of the other parent's income and of the child's costs.
- 4
Unpaid support from a parent abroad? Use ÚMPOD
The Office for International Legal Protection of Children (ÚMPOD) in Brno enforces child maintenance from abroad and to abroad free of charge, as the central authority under the EU Maintenance Regulation and international treaties.
- 5
Do not move the child abroad without consent
Taking a child to another country without the other parent's consent or a court decision can be wrongful removal under the Hague Convention, with an order to return the child. Agree in writing or ask the court first.
Deadlines and money
Maintenance can be claimed up to three years back from the day you file, so do not wait. Help from OSPOD and from ÚMPOD is free; proceedings about a minor child's care and maintenance are free of court fees. A lawyer is paid separately — useful when the parents disagree or one lives abroad.
Can you handle it yourself, or do you need a lawyer?
If you agree, you can file the agreement yourself with OSPOD's help. Get a lawyer if you disagree about where the child lives, the other parent lives abroad or threatens to take the child abroad, maintenance is not paid, or your residence permit depends on the family.
If parents cannot agree on custody or support and one of them lives in Prague, or maintenance that has already been awarded isn't being paid from the Czech Republic, it is worth discussing the situation with a lawyer experienced in cross-border enforcement.
Where to get help in Prague
Residence and visas
The Ministry of the Interior's OAMP office — book an appointment through the Information Portal for Foreigners or on +420 974 801 801.
Ministerstvo vnitra — Odbor azylové a migrační politiky (OAMP)Free advice for foreigners
The regional integration centre gives free advice in several languages and helps with offices.
Integrační centrum PrahaWages and working conditions
The regional labour inspectorate takes complaints against employers free of charge.
Oblastní inspektorát práce pro hlavní město PrahuCourt
The district court for civil disputes such as deposits, wages or divorce.
Obvodní soud podle městské části, kde bydlíte
Two ways to find legal help
Choose a lawyer yourself or ask for a shortlist
You always keep control of the choice and permission to share your request.
Find a lawyer
Browse approved public profiles by country, city and area of law.
Open the lawyer directoryHelp me choose
Describe your matter. LawBridge prepares a shortlist and shares your details only after you confirm it.
Describe your legal matterDirectory results reflect the currently verified and publicly listed coverage.
Documents to Prepare
- The child's birth certificate and proof of residence
- Any existing custody/support decision or agreement
- Proof of the paying parent's income in the Czech Republic
Legal background
Child maintenance can be awarded from the start of proceedings and for a child for up to three years back (Section 922 of the Civil Code, Act No. 89/2012 Coll.). The Office for International Legal Protection of Children (ÚMPOD) is the Czech central authority for cross-border maintenance and child protection. Jurisdiction over parental responsibility (custody, contact) within the EU is determined by the Brussels IIb Regulation, generally based on the child's habitual residence. Cross-border maintenance recovery between the Czech Republic and other EU member states is simplified by the EU Maintenance Regulation (4/2009), which streamlines recognition and enforcement of maintenance decisions issued in one member state in another.
Verified Sources
- Civil Code, common provisions on maintenance (Sections 921–923) — podnikatel.cz
- Back-dated child maintenance should be the rule, Constitutional Court confirms — epravo.cz
- How to enforce child support from abroad — Měšec.cz
- EU Maintenance Regulation (EC) No 4/2009 — EUR-Lex
Last reviewed: