Facing Enforcement: What Now?

1. First, find out exactly what is running against you

Before you address anything, you need an accurate overview. The Central Register of Enforcements (CEE) at www.ceecr.cz, run by the Czech Chamber of Judicial Enforcement Officers, lets you find out, for a fee of roughly tens of Czech crowns, how many enforcement proceedings and with which bailiffs are running against you (or anyone else).

• ✓the report gives you the bailiff’s name, the file number and the date proceedings started, but not always the exact amount owed
• ✓request the exact amount of the debt and enforcement costs directly from the specific bailiff, usually by e-mail or through their data box (datová schránka)
• ✓if you have several enforcement proceedings with the same bailiff, also check whether there is a reason to have them joined into a single proceeding

Once you receive notice that enforcement has started, the so called general inhibitorium applies: you may not dispose of your assets beyond ordinary administration until the enforcement ends or you agree otherwise with the bailiff. Ignoring this rule will only make your situation worse.

2. What a bailiff can do, and what they cannot take from you

Depending on your financial situation, the bailiff chooses the method of enforcement: deductions from wages or other income, garnishment of a bank account, or the sale of movable property or real estate. Clear limits apply to wage and account deductions, protecting what you need to live.

Since 1 January 2026 the protected amount has been calculated using a new method, based on normative rent, an energy allowance and the subsistence minimum for an individual:

• ✓the basic protected amount per debtor comes to CZK 14,101.50 per month
• ✓a quarter of this amount is added for each dependent (a child, or a spouse without income)
• ✓above the statutory net income threshold, the remainder is deducted without limit, all of it going toward the debt

You can calculate the exact amount based on your wage and number of dependents in the protected amount calculator.

Similar protection applies to movable property: under Section 322 of the Czech Code of Civil Procedure, items you essentially need to meet your material needs or your family’s, or to carry out your work, and ordinary household furnishings within a usual scope (bed, table, chairs, kitchen equipment, refrigerator, cooker, washing machine, heating appliance and fuel, bedding), are excluded from enforcement. Above-standard items are not protected, and the bailiff assesses each case individually.

3. Defense: a motion to stay enforcement

Not every enforcement proceeding underway is necessarily in order. A motion to stay enforcement under Section 268 of the Czech Code of Civil Procedure makes sense if one of these grounds applies:

• ✓the right to enforce the claim is time-barred, typically with older debts where the creditor waited a long time to act
• ✓the enforcement title arose from an invalid arbitration clause, common with older consumer loans where the arbitrator was not selected in a transparent way
• ✓the enforcement title (a judgment, a payment order) was not properly delivered to you, so you could not defend yourself in time
• ✓the decision on which the enforcement is based was later set aside or changed

The motion is filed with the bailiff handling the enforcement, or with the enforcement court. Assessing whether one of these grounds actually holds up in your case, especially with invalid arbitration clauses, tends to be legally complex, and I recommend having it reviewed before you file the motion.

4. Instalments and an agreement with the bailiff

A payment schedule is not one of the statutory methods of enforcement, it is always a matter of agreement with the bailiff, who additionally needs the creditor’s (judgment creditor’s) consent. Even so, it is worth trying to negotiate an instalment agreement, especially if you have a steady, even if lower, income.

• ✓an instalment agreement does not prevent the bailiff from simultaneously pursuing other enforcement methods, if they judge that to be more effective
• ✓the creditor can withdraw consent to lower deductions at any time, after which the bailiff resumes standard enforcement
• ✓if you have several enforcement proceedings with one bailiff, it is worth proposing that they be joined, this reduces costs and aligns the repayment date, instead of running side by side independently

It pays to act proactively, before the bailiff moves to sell assets or block your account. Many bailiffs will accept an instalment agreement if they can see that you are genuinely repaying the debt and not just delaying.

5. When personal bankruptcy is the answer

If you have debts to at least two creditors, they have been more than 30 days overdue, and you know you cannot realistically repay them from your income within a reasonable time, it is time to stop addressing enforcement proceedings one by one and consider personal bankruptcy (debt relief). The latest amendment to the Czech Insolvency Act has fundamentally simplified the proceedings:

• ✓personal bankruptcy now uniformly lasts three years for all debtors, whether an employee or an entrepreneur
• ✓the former rules on repaying 30%, or 60%, of debts have been abolished, the court now sets instalments individually based on your income and means
• ✓after successfully completing debt relief, the remaining debts are forgiven, though court supervision during the proceedings is stricter than before

You can find a detailed step by step description of how debt relief works in the personal bankruptcy guide. If you are not sure whether it is better for you to address enforcement proceedings individually or go the route of debt relief, I am happy to compare both options with you during a consultation.

6. When you cannot yet afford an attorney

I understand that when you are dealing with enforcement proceedings, the last thing you want is another bill to pay. Before you contact me, there is a network of free debt advice centers you can turn to right away:

• ✓the debt helpline run by the organization Člověk v tísni (People in Need), phone 770 600 800, open Monday to Friday 9am to 10pm
• ✓Poradna při finanční tísni and other non-profit advice centers focused on debt relief and enforcement, also available in person across the country
• ✓a map of debt advice centers, where you can find the nearest free advice center based on where you live

These advice centers can help you get oriented in your situation, calculate instalments, and prepare documents free of charge. Once it comes to a legally more complex step, a motion to stay a specific enforcement, a dispute with the bailiff, or preparing an insolvency petition, I recommend having the procedure checked by an attorney, so you can be sure the filing is formally in order.

Frequently asked questions about enforcement

Who will handle your case

Ing. Mgr. Tomáš Beneš

Attorney registered with the Czech Bar Association, based in Prague.

Law degree from Charles University. I focus on business law, real estate and employment disputes. I handle every case personally, no assistants.

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