Debt recovery · Slovakia
Debt recovery through enforcement
An enforceable title is only half the journey. We check that the judgment, payment order, notarial deed or arbitral award is actually enforceable, set out the principal and ancillary claims precisely, and apply for enforcement. Enforcement does not guarantee recovery. If the debtor has no assets, nobody can recover them. That is exactly why we tell you before you start paying.
- Checking the title's enforceability
- Breakdown of principal and ancillary claims
- Ongoing enforcement monitoring
What we'll do for you
The route from an enforceable title to actual payment, including an honest assessment of whether enforcement is worthwhile in this case at all.
Select an item to see the details.
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Checking the title and enforceability
We check finality, the certificate of enforceability, correct identification of the parties and whether the claim has meanwhile ceased to exist. A formal defect in the title is the most common reason enforcement runs into difficulty at the outset.
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Breakdown of principal and ancillary claims
We calculate precisely what is being recovered: principal, default interest to date, any contractual penalty and awarded costs of proceedings. We account for partial payments made after the title was issued so that you do not recover more than you are entitled to.
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Enforcement application
We prepare and file the application, including attachments and electronic filing. We explain which enforcement methods are realistic for your debtor: deductions from earnings, attachment of a bank account, sale of movable assets, property or a business share.
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Cooperation with the enforcement officer and asset searches
We communicate with the enforcement officer, provide leads for asset searches and press for those searches to be carried out. We can turn what you know about the debtor into a specific lead.
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Monitoring and recommending the next step
We monitor progress and report it clearly. If the debtor proves to have no assets or has entered bankruptcy, we say so directly and propose what makes financial sense, including lodging a claim instead of individual recovery.
Deliverableenforcement application filed with a precise breakdown of principal and ancillary claims, and ongoing monitoring of enforcement
The enforcement officer's fee and enforcement disbursements are separate from our fee. They are separate costs of the proceedings. Before filing, we explain the rules and who actually bears them if the debtor has no assets.
How it works
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- Assessment of the title and recoverabilityday 0
Send us the title and what you know about the debtor. We check enforceability, examine available asset and insolvency indicators and give you our assessment, including where it is unfavourable.
- Enforcement application
We calculate the principal and ancillary claims, prepare and file the application, and structure enforcement methods according to what is realistic for this debtor.
- Progress and evaluationongoing
We monitor asset findings and payments, communicate with the enforcement officer and keep you informed. If recovery stops making sense, we say so and review the options, including discontinuing enforcement.
Winning a dispute and getting paid are two different things. A judgment, payment order or notarial deed is a document: by itself, it withdraws nothing from the debtor’s account. If the debtor does not pay voluntarily once it becomes enforceable, the only remaining route is enforcement: state-backed action against their assets.
We always begin with two things. The first is the title: whether it is actually enforceable, correctly identifies the parties and performance, and whether part of the claim has meanwhile ceased to exist. The second is recoverability: whether the debtor has anything to pay with at all. This order is not a formality. Enforcement against a debtor without assets brings only costs and disappointment. If that appears to be the position, we tell you before you start paying for work that will produce no result.
Where the matter makes sense, we prepare a precise breakdown of principal and ancillary claims, file the enforcement application and structure the methods according to what we know about the debtor’s assets, from deductions from earnings and attachment of a bank account to sale of property or a business share. We then keep enforcement moving: we communicate with the enforcement officer, provide leads for asset searches and keep you updated, including when the news is bad.
We build on what you already have. If you do not yet have a title, the route is through a letter before action and a payment order or claim. If the debtor is based in Czechia or Poland, we also handle cross-border recovery, as a firm registered with both the Czech and Slovak Bars, without intermediaries.
No-obligation enquiry
Ready to start?
Send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours with a price confirmation and next steps. The first 30-minute consultation is free and commits you to nothing.
- 1Send your enquiry via this form
- 2Within 24 h you get a price confirmation and plan
- 3We start work only after your approval
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What clients ask
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Will you guarantee that you recover the money?
No, and no reputable provider would. Enforcement is a means of taking action against the debtor's assets. If the debtor has none, even the best-run enforcement cannot recover them. That is why we assess recoverability at the outset and speak openly when the outlook is unfavourable. There is no point paying for proceedings that will yield nothing.
What title is sufficient for enforcement?
Typically, a final and enforceable judgment or payment order, a notarial deed containing consent to enforceability, or an arbitral award. The title must be enforceable, precisely identify the parties and required performance, and have no formal defect. These are the first things we check.
How is enforcement actually carried out?
It depends on what the debtor owns. Deductions from earnings and other income and attachment of bank accounts are the most common because they are quick. Other options include selling movable assets or property, or taking action against a business share. Methods can be combined and we structure them according to the asset findings.
What if the debtor has no assets?
Then enforcement recovers nothing and only costs you money. In that situation, it is more honest to say so immediately and consider other routes, such as postponing matters if the debtor's circumstances may change, or ending recovery. If enforcement is already underway and a lack of assets emerges, we review the conditions for discontinuance and the associated costs.
The debtor is in bankruptcy. Does enforcement make sense?
Generally not. Individual recovery gives way to collective proceedings in insolvency, and the claim must be lodged in time instead of filing an enforcement application. Missing the claim deadline is often irreversible, so we check insolvency indicators before filing. If the debtor becomes insolvent during enforcement, we alert you and change course.
Legal Q&A
Common questions on this topic
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How should I recover an unpaid invoice?
Invoice recovery follows an established sequence: check the debtor and limitation period, send a pre-action payment demand specifying principal and interest, apply for a payment order through ordinary or electronic payment order proceedings if unsuccessful, and begin enforcement once an enforceable title is obtained. Most cases are resolved by a lawyer's demand; court and enforcement are later stages.
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The debtor transferred assets to family members to avoid paying. Can anything be done?
Yes. The Civil Code gives creditors an avoidance action: the court declares that a transaction prejudicing the creditor is legally ineffective against them. The transfer is not cancelled and the assets do not return to the debtor, but the creditor can enforce directly against the assets transferred as though the transfer had never occurred. For transfers to close persons, the law significantly eases the creditor's evidential burden; the action must be brought within three years of the transaction.
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Our debtor obtained a personal bankruptcy discharge. Is our claim permanently lost?
Not necessarily. Discharge makes the claim unenforceable against the debtor but does not extinguish it: voluntary payment remains possible, as does recovery from a guarantor or security. Statutorily listed claims remain unaffected, including child maintenance and intentionally caused damage. If the debtor lacked honest intent, discharge may be challenged within six years.
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Further reading
Debt recovery audit: eight questions showing how much money your business leaves uncollected
Invoices becoming time-barred this year, unclaimed interest and fixed compensation, reminders without legal effect and insolvencies discovered too late. Eight questions reveal where recovery loses money, with links to detailed guidance.
Read more →
When a director pays the company’s debts: three routes for creditors
A claim against an empty s.r.o. may still be recoverable. Slovak law allows creditors to claim damages directly for a late bankruptcy petition and to pursue the company’s claim against its managing director. Czech law provides statutory liability for company debts and late insolvency petitions.
Read more →
Damages under the new rules: what can and cannot be agreed
The new Civil Code addresses long-disputed questions about damages: advance waivers, disguised late-payment interest and non-pecuniary claims for breach of contract. Liability limitation clauses will have clear rules.
Read more →