Contracts and commercial relationships · Czechia and Slovakia
Contract for work
We prepare or review contracts for construction, IT projects and trades under Czech and Slovak law. We clearly structure price, schedule, acceptance, liability for defects, warranties and penalties so you can hand over or accept the work without unnecessary disputes.
- Lawyer registered with both the Czech and Slovak Bar Associations
- For customers and contractors
- Fees agreed in advance
What we'll do for you
Complete drafting or review of a contract for work for Czech and Slovak parties, including payment, acceptance and liability for defects.
Select an item to see the details.
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Initial consultation
We review the nature of the work, main risks and whether the contract falls under a civil or commercial regime.
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Tailored contract for work
Subject matter, price and its calculation, schedule, customer cooperation, conditions for scope changes (additional work) and termination.
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Acceptance and defects
We structure handover and acceptance, the acceptance protocol, warranty period and defect handling, including retention.
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Payments and security
Payment milestones, retention, contractual penalties, default interest and any security (suretyship, advance payment or bank guarantee).
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Intellectual property and confidentiality
For IT and creative work, we address the licence to the result, treatment of source code and protection of confidential information.
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Document delivery
You receive the final agreement ready for signature, with an explanation of key provisions.
Deliverablea signed contract for work ready for project implementation
How it works
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- Consultationday 0
We establish the nature of the work, main risks and which side you represent, then select the regime and focus accordingly.
- Draft agreement
We prepare a tailored agreement or review the other party's draft and identify your risks.
- Aligning the partiesat your pace
We incorporate comments, negotiate disputed points and prepare final wording for signature. One round of comments is included; longer negotiations are agreed in advance at an hourly rate.
- Signing and implementation
You receive a clean copy ready for signature; on request, we remain available throughout the work.
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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What is the difference between civil and commercial contracts for work?
A commercial regime generally applies between businesses acting in their business activities; otherwise, a civil regime applies. They differ, for example, in ownership of the work, passing of risk of damage and liability for defects. We identify the correct regime at the outset and adapt the agreement accordingly.
How do I protect the price against unplanned additional work?
We specify how the price is determined (fixed, budget-based or hourly) and a clear scope-change procedure — additional work requires written approval, otherwise payment is not due. This prevents disputes over what was included in the price.
What is retention, and why include it?
Retention is part of the price withheld by the customer until defects are corrected or part of the warranty period expires. It protects the customer while encouraging the contractor to complete defect-free work. We balance the amount and release conditions for both parties.
How are acceptance and defects handled?
We recommend a written acceptance protocol listing any defects and incomplete items, with correction deadlines. The agreement defines when work is accepted, when the warranty begins and how claims are made.
Who has rights to software or a design after payment?
For IT and creative work, the licence to the result must be expressly agreed — payment alone may not transfer all rights. We address licence scope, source code and further use in the agreement.
Can you prepare a bilingual agreement?
Yes, for cross-border projects we prepare a bilingual agreement and align Czech and Slovak terminology so both versions have the same meaning.
Legal Q&A
Common questions on this topic
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Must an agreement be in writing to be valid?
Most agreements are valid orally: Slovak law generally allows freedom of form. However, writing may be required by law, for example for property transfers, or by the parties themselves. If the prescribed written form is missing, the agreement is invalid. Amendments require a distinction between civil and commercial law: in a commercial relationship, merely signing the agreement in writing does not mean that every amendment must also be in writing. In practice, writing is recommended even where the law does not require it, for evidence and certainty.
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The customer is using the works but has not signed the handover record and refuses to pay. What can we do?
The precise wording of the agreement is decisive. If signing a handover record is agreed as a condition of handing over the works, courts have long held that without it the works have not been handed over and no entitlement to the price has arisen, even if the customer uses them. In 2025, Czech case law began denying protection to parties invoking the agreed form dishonestly; Slovak courts have not yet adopted that shift. New agreements should therefore include deemed handover.
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The works are defective. Can we claim damages as well as a price reduction?
Yes, but the claims must be kept distinct. What can be obtained through defect remedies, such as repair, a price reduction or replacement performance, cannot be claimed again as damages. Consequential losses not covered by the reduction, such as profits lost during production downtime or costs caused by the defect in dealings with your customers, are claimed separately as damages. Note the statutory limit: a price reduction excludes lost profits arising from the very missing characteristic to which the reduction relates.
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Further reading
Agile software development: a contract designed for sprints
Sprints do not fit a conventional contract for work: scope is flexible, software is delivered incrementally and acceptance is ongoing. A framework agreement with orders, budget caps, a definition of done and rules for the backlog and repository handover provides a solution.
Read more →
Work statements, interim invoices and retention: construction payments depend on the contract
When a contractor gets paid depends on the contract’s billing arrangements: statements of completed work, approval and retention. Set them up so payments continue throughout construction and the first disagreement does not stop cash flow.
Read more →
Acceptance records in contracts for work: the formality that determines payment
Contractors generally do not get paid until handover, and the contract defines what handover means. How to agree acceptance records, deemed acceptance and acceptance with minor defects, and how Slovak and Czech case law treats withheld signatures.
Read more →