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Practical legal guide

Business dispute with a Czech company: can mediation solve it?

Your Czech supplier delivered late, your Czech customer will not pay, or a joint project went wrong, and you would rather settle than sue in another country. Mediation with a registered Czech mediator lets both companies negotiate in confidence, and the result can be made enforceable in the Czech Republic and across the EU.

Describe your case

Updated and verified:

Short answer

  1. Cross-border mediation with a registered mediator
  2. Written agreement on payment or performance
  3. Notarial deed or court approval
  4. Lawsuit or enforcement if it fails

Mediation suits companies that want to settle quickly and keep the relationship. A Czech notarial deed or court approval makes the agreement enforceable across the EU. Fees are agreed with the mediator.

Describe your case

Quick answers

How much does business mediation with a Czech company cost?
The fee is agreed with the mediator and, unless agreed otherwise, the companies share it equally, plus the mediator's documented expenses. Only a court-ordered first meeting has a fixed statutory fee.
How long does it take?
There is no statutory length; it depends on the dispute and the parties. You agree the duration in the mediation contract.
Can the mediation be in English?
Yes, if the mediator works in English. The Ministry of Justice list can be searched by the language of the mediation.

When this situation arises

  • A Czech supplier delivered late or defective goods
  • A Czech customer refuses to pay, claiming the goods or work were faulty
  • A dispute over a contractual penalty or the scope of a project
  • A joint venture or distribution deal with a Czech partner is breaking down

What options do you have

Cross-border mediation with a registered mediator

A mediator focused on commercial disputes runs the talks between people authorised to settle for each company. The language of the mediation is agreed with the mediator.

Written agreement on payment or performance

The agreement can cover instalments, a discount, a repair, a new delivery or ending the contract. It must be precise: who pays or does what, how much and by when.

Notarial deed or court approval

A Czech notarial deed with consent to enforcement, or approval by a Czech court as a court settlement, turns the agreement into an enforcement title. In civil and commercial matters it is enforced in other EU countries without a separate declaration.

Lawsuit or enforcement if it fails

Mediation does not take away your right to go to court. If no agreement is reached, or it is broken, you sue or enforce the approved title.

Recommended step-by-step process

  1. 1.

    Check the contract

    Look for a mediation, arbitration or jurisdiction clause and the governing law before proposing anything.

  2. 2.

    Propose mediation in writing

    Send the Czech company a proposal naming a mediator from the official list, or offer to choose one together.

  3. 3.

    Sign the mediation contract

    It names the mediator, describes the dispute, sets the fee and the duration. Decide who may sign a settlement for your company.

  4. 4.

    Negotiate and draft the agreement

    Write amounts, deadlines and the way of payment so that the agreement can be enforced.

  5. 5.

    Make it enforceable

    For a payment, consider a Czech notarial deed with consent to enforcement; otherwise ask a Czech court to approve the agreement.

What documents to prepare

  • The contract, orders, delivery notes and acceptance records
  • Invoices, reminders and a statement of payments
  • Correspondence about defects, complaints and deadlines
  • Proof of who may act for your company (register extract, power of attorney)

Common mistakes

  • Sending someone who cannot sign a settlement for the company
  • Writing a vague agreement without amounts and deadlines
  • Letting a limitation period run out without checking it with a lawyer
  • Relying on a signed agreement instead of a notarial deed or court approval
  • Ignoring an arbitration clause in the contract

Risks and important deadlines

Limitation periods

EU rules protect parties from losing the right to sue because a limitation period expired during mediation; still check the dates for your claim with a lawyer.

An agreement that is not kept

Without a notarial deed or court approval, the agreement is only a contract: if it is broken, you must sue first.

Denmark

The EU mediation directive does not apply to Denmark.

Estimated costs

The mediator's fee is agreed in the mediation contract, per hour, per day or for the whole mediation, plus documented expenses; unless agreed otherwise, the companies share it equally. Add your lawyer's fee and the court fee or notary's fee for making the agreement enforceable.

When it's worth contacting a lawyer

A Czech business lawyer is worth involving before you propose mediation: they check the contract clauses, the governing law and limitation dates, and draft the agreement so that it can be enforced in the Czech Republic and your country. They can attend the mediation and take the agreement to a notary or court. Some Czech lawyers are also registered mediators. On LawBridge you can find lawyers by area of law and describe your situation in a request; registered mediators are listed by the Czech Ministry of Justice. Lawyers and mediators always charge for their work.

Describe your case

Frequently asked questions

Is the agreement enforceable in my country?

A court settlement or notarial deed enforceable in the Czech Republic is enforced in other EU countries without a separate declaration of enforceability, in civil and commercial matters. Outside the EU, a lawyer checks the local rules.

Is business mediation confidential?

Yes. The mediator must keep it confidential and, under EU rules, cannot be made to give evidence about it in later civil or commercial proceedings.

What if the Czech company refuses or the talks fail?

Mediation is voluntary. You keep the right to sue or start arbitration, and EU rules protect you from losing it because a limitation period ran out during mediation.

Do we need a lawyer as well?

Not by law, but for larger amounts it is advisable. The mediator advises neither side; your lawyer protects your company and makes the agreement enforceable.

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