Union of Family Lawyers

The Union of Family Lawyers (Czech: Unie rodinných advokátů, z.s., often abbreviated URA) is a Czech professional association of attorneys and other experts specialising in family law and family relationships. Registered as a spolek (a Czech form of voluntary association), it was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Prague. Its stated mission is to develop and spread socially beneficial support for the institution of the family and parenthood, with particular attention to the rights of minor children, respect for individual personal responsibility in family and partner relationships, support for steps aimed at preserving family traditions, prevention of all types of conflict — especially legal disputes — resolution of family conflicts by out-of-court means, and defence of the family against what it describes as unnatural attacks that disrupt its integrity. The Union is an open professional association. Membership is open to family lawyers and other experts who professionally deal with family and family relationships; members have included prominent public figures, emeritus judges, scientists and supporters. At the beginning of 2022 the Union reported 160 members. Its statutory body is a presidium, headed by Daniela Kovářová, a former Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic in the government of Jan Fischer. The Union provides specialised professional education for its members to maintain a high level of expertise. Since its founding in 2018 the Union has issued 16 position statements on current social, legal, political and legislative questions, including shared custody, COVID-19 vaccination of children, ratification of the Istanbul Convention, advance maintenance payments (zálohové výživné) and domestic abductions. It cooperates with the Czech Bar Association and with other corporations and institutions of similar purpose, both domestically and internationally — for example with the Association of Family-Law and Guardianship Judges, the Judges' Union of the Czech Republic, and the Union of Defence Lawyers. It represents the interests of its members in dealings with other organisations of similar purpose. Representatives of the Union are regularly approached by the media and invited to conferences, round tables, discussions on parliamentary ground, and they comment on current social and political questions. The Union is a partner of the Permanent Conference on Czech Law, Lawyer of the Year, the Josefské dny organised by the European Institute for Peace and Mediation, and other significant all-justice events. In accordance with its statutes, a members' meeting is held once a year. The Union annually organises a nationwide conference, "Rodina v právu a bezpráví" (Family in Law and Lawlessness), at which experts and leading figures of family law and justice in the Czech Republic give lectures. In 2022 the Union decided to publish thematically focused family case law of Czech courts. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Union of Family Lawyers established "Koroporadna" — a free advice service for those in need during the acute COVID situation. Within this activity, seventy experts, mostly members and close collaborators of the Union, answered 15,000 e-mail and 10,000 telephone enquiries over the course of 1.5 years. The Union is the owner of a combined trademark registered with the Industrial Property Office in Prague under registration number 368905, with a priority date of 9 April 2018; the trademark may be used exclusively by members of the Union on the basis of a duly registered licence agreement.

The Union of Family Lawyers (Unie rodinných advokátů, z.s.) was founded in 2018 as an open professional association of Czech attorneys and other experts concerned with family law and family relationships. Its combined trademark was registered with the Industrial Property Office in Prague under registration number 368905, with a priority date of 9 April 2018, indicating that the association's identity and branding were established at the time of its founding. The trademark may be used exclusively by members of the Union on the basis of a duly registered licence agreement. From its inception the Union has pursued a mission centred on protecting the institution of the family and parenthood, with attention to the rights of minor children, personal responsibility in family and partner relationships, preservation of family traditions, prevention of conflicts, out-of-court resolution of family disputes, and defence of the family against what it describes as unnatural attacks that disrupt its integrity. Since 2018 it has issued 16 position statements on current social, legal, political and legislative questions, including shared custody, COVID-19 vaccination of children, ratification of the Istanbul Convention, advance maintenance payments (zálohové výživné) and domestic abductions. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Union established "Koroporadna", a free advice service for people in need during the acute COVID situation. Within this activity, seventy experts — mostly members and close collaborators of the Union — answered 15,000 e-mail and 10,000 telephone enquiries over the course of 1.5 years. This initiative illustrates the association's broader role as a public-facing professional body during a period of crisis. By the beginning of 2022 the Union had 160 members, including prominent public figures, emeritus judges, scientists and supporters, who deal daily with issues of relationships between parents and children, spouses and partners, with interdisciplinary overlap into a range of scientific fields. In 2022 the Union decided to publish thematically focused family case law of Czech courts. Its statutory body is a presidium, headed by Daniela Kovářová, a former Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic in the government of Jan Fischer. The Union cooperates with the Czech Bar Association and with other corporations and institutions of similar purpose, both domestically and internationally — for example with the Association of Family-Law and Guardianship Judges, the Judges' Union of the Czech Republic, and the Union of Defence Lawyers. It represents the interests of its members in dealings with other organisations of similar purpose. Its representatives are regularly approached by the media and invited to conferences, round tables, discussions on parliamentary ground, and they comment on current social and political questions. The Union is a partner of the Permanent Conference on Czech Law, Lawyer of the Year, the Josefské dny organised by the European Institute for Peace and Mediation, and other significant all-justice events. In accordance with its statutes, a members' meeting is held once a year. The Union annually organises a nationwide conference, "Rodina v právu a bezpráví" (Family in Law and Lawlessness), at which experts and leading figures of family law and justice in the Czech Republic give lectures. By 2026 the conference had reached its 8th edition, held on 19 May 2026 in Prague under the title "Trampoty dětí, rodičů, advokátů" (The Troubles of Children, Parents, Lawyers). The Union also runs a series of educational events for its members and other attorneys and trainee attorneys, including workshops organised in cooperation with the Judicial Academy and the "Hojivá advokacie" series; by 2026 it had held its 36th educational event. It maintains an active public commentary role, with members publishing analyses on topics such as the legal capacity of minors, new legal regulation of domestic violence, and the attorney's duty to report or prevent criminal offences.

• 2026

  8th edition of the annual conference "Rodina v právu a bezpráví" held on 19 May 2026 in Prague under the title "Trampoty dětí, rodičů, advokátů".

• 2026

  36th URA educational event in the "Hojivá advokacie" series announced for 20 November 2026; workshop with the Judicial Academy on the family-law amendment effective 1 January 2026 announced for 23 October 2026.

• 2022

  Union reported 160 members at the beginning of 2022 and decided to publish thematically focused family case law of Czech courts.

• 2020

  At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Union established "Koroporadna", a free advice service; over 1.5 years seventy experts answered 15,000 e-mail and 10,000 telephone enquiries.

• 2018

  Union of Family Lawyers founded; combined trademark registered with priority date 9 April 2018 (registration no. 368905).

An open professional association of Czech family lawyers promoting family protection, children's rights and out-of-court resolution of family disputes.

• Professional membership

  Open to family lawyers and other experts professionally dealing with family and family relationships; members have included prominent public figures, emeritus judges, scientists and supporters.

• Position statements

  16 statements issued since 2018 on current social, legal, political and legislative questions, e.g. shared custody, COVID-19 vaccination of children, ratification of the Istanbul Convention, advance maintenance payments and domestic abductions.

• Annual conference "Rodina v právu a bezpráví"

  Nationwide conference at which experts and leading figures of family law and justice in the Czech Republic give lectures; 8th edition held in 2026.

• Thematic family case-law publications

  In 2022 the Union decided to publish thematically focused family case law of Czech courts.

• Koroporadna free advice service

  Free advice service established in March 2020 for those in need during the acute COVID situation.

• Specialised professional education

  Workshops and educational events, including cooperation with the Judicial Academy and the "Hojivá advokacie" series.

1. 1Index | Unie rodinných advokátůuracr.cz
2. 2Unie rodinných advokátů, z.s. — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Unie rodinných advokátů — Wikipedia (Czech)cs.wikipedia.org