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Practical legal guide

Family mediation in the Czech Republic for foreigners and cross-border families

You are a foreigner separating in the Czech Republic, or you and your child's other parent now live in different countries. Family mediation lets you agree on the children, child support and property with a neutral mediator, in a language you understand, before a court decides for you.

Describe your case

Updated and verified:

Short answer

  1. Family mediation with a registered mediator
  2. Court approval of the agreement on the children
  3. Enforcement in other EU countries
  4. Court decision if you cannot agree

A registered mediator helps you agree on the children, support and property. A Czech court then approves the agreement on the children. The fee is agreed with the mediator.

Describe your case

Quick answers

How much does family mediation cost in the Czech Republic?
The fee is agreed with the mediator and, unless agreed otherwise, the parents share it equally. Only a court-ordered first meeting has a fixed fee: CZK 1,000 per started hour since 1 January 2026, for at most 3 hours, plus VAT where charged.
How long does it take?
Czech law sets no length; it depends on how much you need to settle. A court-ordered first meeting lasts at most 3 hours, and the court may pause the case for up to 3 months for it.
Can mediation be held in English or my own language?
Yes, if you find a mediator who works in that language. The Ministry of Justice list can be searched by the language of the mediation.

When this situation arises

  • You are divorcing in the Czech Republic and one of you is not Czech
  • One parent wants to move abroad with the child
  • You live in different EU countries and need to agree on contact and child support
  • A Czech court ordered you to a first meeting with a mediator
  • You need to split a flat, a mortgage or savings in the Czech Republic

What options do you have

Family mediation with a registered mediator

Choose a mediator from the Czech Ministry of Justice list who focuses on family mediation and works in your language. You and the other parent decide; the mediator helps you talk and does not take sides.

Court approval of the agreement on the children

What you agree on care, contact and child support goes to the Czech court. The court approves it if it is in the child's interest; until then it is not binding as a court decision.

Enforcement in other EU countries

EU rules on parental responsibility let a decision or an approved agreement with binding effect in the Czech Republic be recognised in other EU countries. A lawyer checks which steps apply in your case.

Court decision if you cannot agree

Mediation is voluntary and does not close the way to court. If you do not agree, the court decides on the children and property.

Recommended step-by-step process

  1. 1.

    Find a mediator in your language

    Search the official list of mediators by region, family-mediation focus and language of the mediation.

  2. 2.

    Agree to try mediation

    Both parents must agree. If one refuses, the court can still order a first meeting with a mediator once proceedings are running.

  3. 3.

    Sign the mediation contract

    It sets out the dispute, the mediator's fee or how it is calculated, and the duration. The mediator explains the process and the fee first.

  4. 4.

    Agree and check the text

    The mediation agreement is signed by both parents and the mediator. Have a lawyer check it, especially where two countries are involved.

  5. 5.

    Take the agreement to court

    The agreement on the children goes to the Czech court for approval; property terms can be approved as a court settlement or recorded by a notary.

What documents to prepare

  • Passports or residence cards and your children's birth certificates
  • Marriage certificate, translated if it was issued abroad
  • Proof of income of both parents
  • A list of the children's costs (school, health, housing)
  • Any court order or letter from a court in the Czech Republic or abroad

Common mistakes

  • Treating a signed agreement on the children as final without court approval
  • Moving abroad with the child before the other parent or the court agrees
  • Choosing a mediator without checking the language of the mediation
  • Agreeing child support without proof of either parent's income
  • Trying mediation where there is violence or fear of the other parent

Risks and important deadlines

Child taken or kept abroad

If a child is taken to or kept in another country without consent, act at once and speak to a lawyer; mediation can run alongside the court case but must not delay it.

Court deadlines keep running

Mediation does not stop deadlines you already have in court, such as the time to appeal. Keep track of them.

Unsuitable cases

The Czech Ministry of Justice lists domestic violence, addiction and a strongly unequal position as cases where mediation is not appropriate.

Estimated costs

You agree the mediator's fee in the mediation contract, per hour, per session or for the whole mediation; unless you agree otherwise, the parents share it equally. A first meeting ordered by a Czech court has a fixed fee: since 1 January 2026 it is CZK 1,000 per started hour for at most 3 hours, plus VAT where charged, shared equally, and the state pays it for a parent exempt from court fees. Add translation and lawyers' fees where needed.

When it's worth contacting a lawyer

Speak to a family lawyer before you sign anything, when the other parent lives in another country, when a move abroad with the child is planned, or when a court in another country is already involved. The lawyer checks which court and law apply, reviews the agreement and takes it to 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

We live in different EU countries. Does that change anything?

The EU rules on cross-border mediation apply, and an agreement with binding effect in the Czech Republic can be recognised in other EU countries. Which country's court decides about the children follows the EU rules on jurisdiction; a lawyer checks this first.

Is what we say in mediation confidential?

Yes. The mediator must keep confidential everything learned in the mediation and, under EU rules, cannot be made to testify about it in a later civil case.

What if the other parent refuses or mediation fails?

Mediation is voluntary, so it ends and the court decides. A Czech court can order both parents to a first meeting with a mediator, but not to mediation itself.

Do I still need a lawyer?

It is not required, but advisable. The mediator is neutral. A lawyer explains your rights in both countries, checks the agreement and takes it to court.

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