Lawyers in Spain

The Spanish word for Lawyer is ‘Abogado‘ and is the equivalent to a Solicitor or a Barrister in England or attorney in the United States.

The Law society in Spain is called the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados. It operates at a provincial level and sets minimum levels of charges. Do not hesitate to ask your lawyer for an estimate of the charges, preferably in writing. If you have a problem you can always take it up with the provincial ‘colegio to which the lawyer is a member.

The national bar association is known as the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española which represents the legal profession at the national level in Spain whilst the Colegios de Abogados holds the majority of the regulatory powers on a local level.

Until November 1st 2011 law students in Spain only need to complete a 5-year law degree to qualify for the local bar association with no further training or qualification necessary. After that date law students will also need to complete 2 special courses, one involving a work placement and the other a state exam. This new requirement for passing the bar was actually passed in October 2006 but allowed a 5 year interim period for students who had already begun their law degree.

There are many decent law firms to be found in Spain with many able to speak a very good level of English.

Legal Aid

If you are a resident of more modest means, you may be entitled to free legal aid. Anybody with an income of fewer than 2.5 times the legal minimum wage is entitled to free legal aid from the state. The legal minimum in 2003 was 6.000 Euro a year. The Colegio de Abogados who administer the scheme have a legal aid office in each Law court building orPalacio de Justicia. The procedure is complicated and will involve much paperwork to prove your wage and assets.

The Spanish Legal system

There could be any number of reasons for the need of qualified legal advice especially when you are in a foreign country. There are correct procedures to follow and things can take time and money. When choosing your lawyer or legal team, check their are of speciality. It may be wills, tax, property or other. A lawyer who specialises in a particular field will be able to get to the heart of a matter much quicker than a general law practice. They may be a bit more expensive, but it will be worth it because they should be able to get things moving much quicker.

It is always recommended to engage the services of a lawyer for the purchase of property and/or land. Make sure it’s your own. It’s not uncommon for clients to be offered biased legal advice from the start. In Marbella, some extremely high profile lawyers (abogados) have been implicated and convicted of colluding in some of the Marbella property scandals and corruption.
Other situations you will probably need a lawyer for in Spain

Making a will – very important for homeowners or property who should consider the very serious implications of inheritance tax
Marriage and Divorce
Disputes over the property – Real Estate Law
Custody cases for children

Many of the larger legal firms, in places such as Madrid or Barcelona, will have departments or offices that specialise in different areas of the law. In areas further South such as Andalucia, you will find that the legal company’s services are more general with a range of services. It is wise to check that your chosen lawyer is familiar with your requirements, otherwise, you could be paying them a lot of money just for doing the research.

Useful Spanish legal links:

Consejo General de la Abogacía Española
http://www.cgae.es

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