Estate Planning · Czech Republic
Find an estate planning lawyer in Czech Republic
Czech succession law sits in a single Civil Code that protects a reserved share for your children, so the documents you sign matter. Tell us about your estate — property, business interests, family — and we match you with a Czech advokát who plans successions every day. The first contact is free and carries no obligation.
- Lawyers registered with the Czech Bar Association (Česká advokátní komora)
- Succession, forced heirship, community property and cross-border estates
- Average first response within 24–48 hours
Free matching · No obligation · You choose whether to instruct
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Why this page
Planning an estate that touches the Czech Republic
Planning an estate that touches the Czech Republic means working with the Civil Code (Act No. 89/2012 Coll.), which has governed succession, family and property law in a single code since 1 January 2014. Whether you own a flat in Prague, hold shares in a Czech company, or expect to inherit from a relative living in Brno, the way your assets pass on depends on Czech rules — including the reserved share that protects children. An estate planning lawyer in Czech Republic can map your situation, check the Cadastre of Real Estate and draft documents that fit the statutory framework. We match you with a Czech advokát who handles succession and cross-border estates. Free, fast and with no obligation.
Czech Republic in detail
How estate planning works in the Czech Republic
Czech succession law is codified in one Civil Code and combines broad testamentary freedom with a protected reserved share for descendants. The blocks below summarise the institutions, registration duties and time limits that shape an estate plan in the Czech Republic.
One Civil Code for all private law
Since 1 January 2014 the whole of Czech private law has been governed by a single Civil Code (Act No. 89/2012 Coll.), which repealed the separate Commercial Code and absorbed commercial, family and inheritance law into one code of over 3,000 sections. Practitioners and clients must check that any pre-2014 case law or literature they rely on is still valid.
Forced heirship limits testamentary freedom
A testator’s children — and, if they do not inherit, their descendants — are nepominutelní dědicové, forced heirs entitled to a reserved share (povinný díl) under Section 1643 of the Civil Code. A minor forced heir must receive at least three-quarters of their statutory share; an adult forced heir at least one-quarter. Disinheritance is possible only on the grounds set out in the Code.
Community property of spouses (společné jmění manželů)
Unless spouses agree otherwise in a marriage contract, everything of monetary value acquired by either of them during the marriage forms community property (Section 708 ff.). Items for personal use, gifts, inheritances received by one spouse and compensation for non-material harm stay outside it. Debts for the family’s day-to-day needs form part of the community, and beyond ordinary administration the spouses must generally act together.
Real estate and the Cadastre of Real Estate
Rights in immovable property are recorded in the Cadastre of Real Estate (katastr nemovitostí), administered under Act No. 256/2013 Coll. Ownership and other property rights are created, changed and extinguished by entry (vklad), which takes effect upon registration and is backdated to the moment the application was received. The registered title enjoys a presumption of correctness, which is why a cadastral extract is essential due diligence.
Who may act for you in a Czech succession
Only a person admitted to the Czech Bar Association (Česká advokátní komora) may practise as an advokát and provide legal services. Admission requires full legal capacity, a master’s degree in law, three years of practice as an articled clerk and the bar examination. Registration is public, so you can verify your lawyer’s status before instructing them.
The Constitutional Court as a final safeguard
The Constitutional Court (Ústavní soud) in Brno decides individual constitutional complaints under Act No. 182/1993 Coll. A complainant may challenge a final decision of a public authority only after exhausting all other remedies, must file within two months of delivery of that decision, and must be represented by an advokát. The Court may also annul unconstitutional statutes.
Key time limit — Inheritance, Probate & Wills
Renunciation of succession (inheritance) — 1 month (3 months if the sole residence is abroad). The declaration must be made to the court handling the succession, and the shorter period leaves little room for delay.
All country-specific statements on this page come from official Czech and European Union sources — the Czech legal information service zakonyprolidi.cz and the European e-Justice Portal — consulted in 2025.
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 89/2012 Coll., Civil Code (občanský zákoník)
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 262/2006 Coll., Labour Code (zákoník práce)
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 85/1996 Coll., on the Legal Profession (zákon o advokacii)
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 549/1991 Coll., on Court Fees (zákon o soudních poplatcích)
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 500/2004 Coll., Code of Administrative Procedure (správní řád)
- Zákony pro lidi — Act No. 182/1993 Coll., on the Constitutional Court
Common concerns
What brings clients to us in the Czech Republic
Estate matters rarely stay inside one country. These are the situations our Czech lawyers deal with most often.
Property in the Czech Republic, family abroad
You own a flat or land recorded in the Cadastre of Real Estate, but your spouse, children or heirs live in another country. The interaction between Czech succession rules and your home country’s law needs to be structured before, not after, a death.
You are unsure how far testamentary freedom goes
The reserved share for children means a will that ignores a forced heir may be reduced. Clients often want to know what a valid will can and cannot do under the Civil Code before they sign anything.
Uncertainty about community property
Without a marriage contract, acquisitions during the marriage fall into the statutory community property regime. Working out which assets and debts belong to the community is often the first step in planning an estate.
How we help
Matched with a Czech lawyer who knows succession
We are not a law firm. We are the shortest route from your question to an advokát who handles it.
Verified registration
We match you with lawyers admitted to the Czech Bar Association (Česká advokátní komora), whose registration you can check in the Bar’s public register before you instruct anyone.
Succession and estates focus
Your enquiry goes to professionals whose practice covers wills, reserved shares, community property, probate and the registration of inherited real estate in the cadastre.
Cross-border awareness
Many of our clients hold assets in more than one country. Czech lawyers familiar with cross-border estates can help you see how the Czech rules interact with your situation.
Clear first step
Describe your matter once, in English, and receive a response from a matched lawyer — usually within 24 to 48 hours. Getting matched costs you nothing.
Where else we work
Czech clients also ask about these countries
Estate planning rarely stops at one border. Beyond the Czech Republic, we match clients with lawyers in the following European jurisdictions.
Questions and answers
Estate planning in the Czech Republic — frequently asked questions
How do I find an estate planning lawyer in Czech Republic?
Describe your matter in our matching form — property, family, business interests, any foreign element — and we forward it to Czech lawyers whose practice covers succession and estates. You will normally receive a first response within 24 to 48 hours. Matching is free, and you decide whether to instruct the lawyer who contacts you.
Can I leave my estate to whomever I wish in the Czech Republic?
Not entirely. The Civil Code protects forced heirs (nepominutelní dědicové): the testator’s children, and if they do not inherit then their descendants, are entitled to a reserved share (povinný díl). A minor forced heir must receive at least three-quarters of their statutory share, an adult forced heir at least one-quarter, and disinheritance is possible only on grounds set out in the Code.
What is společné jmění manželů and why does it matter for an estate?
Unless spouses agree otherwise in a marriage contract, everything of monetary value acquired by either spouse during the marriage forms community property under Section 708 ff. of the Civil Code. Items for personal use, gifts and inheritances received by one spouse, and compensation for non-material harm are excluded. Debts for the family’s day-to-day needs form part of the community.
How long do I have to renounce an inheritance in the Czech Republic?
A renunciation of succession must be declared within one month, or within three months if the person’s sole residence is abroad. The declaration is made to the court handling the succession. Because the period is short, it is worth speaking to a Czech lawyer as soon as you learn that you are an heir.
Do I need a Czech advokát, or can anyone represent me?
Only a person admitted to the Czech Bar Association (Česká advokátní komora) may practise as an advokát and provide legal services; admission requires a master’s degree in law, three years as an articled clerk and the bar examination. In ordinary civil proceedings at first instance you may act in person, but representation by an advokát is compulsory before the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
Is inherited real estate in the Czech Republic automatically mine?
Rights in immovable property are recorded in the Cadastre of Real Estate (katastr nemovitostí) under Act No. 256/2013 Coll. Ownership is created, changed and extinguished by entry (vklad) in the cadastre, which takes effect upon registration and is backdated to receipt of the application. The registered title enjoys a presumption of correctness, so a cadastral extract is standard due diligence.
Next step
Tell us about your Czech estate
It takes a few minutes to describe your situation and costs nothing. We will match you with an estate planning lawyer in Czech Republic who can explain your options under the Civil Code and help you put the right documents in place.