You received a Spanish court notice. What is it and what now?

Terms used

• Juzgado — The juzgado is the court that issues the notice and handles your case.
• Rebeldía — Rebeldía is the status of someone who fails to appear after a summons, so the case continues without them.
• Procurador — A procurador is the court representative who files papers and receives notices for you in a case.
• Justicia gratuita — Justicia gratuita is free legal aid for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
• Colegio de abogados — The colegio de abogados is the local bar association, where you apply for free legal aid.

Key rules

• Act at once: Many court deadlines are short and cannot be extended, so contact a lawyer the day the notice arrives.
• Wording decides: The word on the notice (notificación, emplazamiento, citación or requerimiento) tells you whether to answer, attend or comply.
• Proof of delivery: Keep the envelope or acknowledgment, because it shows when and how the notice reached you.
• Free legal aid: If you cannot afford a lawyer, apply for justicia gratuita at the colegio de abogados.

Do this first

Do not ignore the notice. Many court deadlines are short and cannot be extended. Ignoring a notice can lead to a default judgment, fines or enforcement. Today, confirm it is real, note when and how it reached you, and contact a lawyer.

Check it is genuine

Look at the court (juzgado) named on the notice and the case number. Note how it arrived: in person, by post, or through an official electronic channel. If anything looks wrong, ask a lawyer or the court itself before you act on it.

Identify the type of notice

The wording tells you what the court wants from you. Look for these words.

• Notificación: it informs you of a decision or event in a case. Time limits to appeal start running from it.
• Emplazamiento: it summons you to appear in the case within a set period, usually to answer a claim. In an ordinary civil claim you have 20 working days to answer. If you do not appear, the case goes on without you (rebeldía).
• Citación: it tells you to be at a specific place, date and time, such as a hearing, trial or to give testimony. Not turning up can bring fines or other bad consequences.
• Requerimiento: it orders you to do something, or stop doing something, within a set time. Examples are paying a debt or handing over a document. Ignoring it can lead to enforcement or sanctions.

Read the whole decision, not only the cover page. Find the deadline and put it in your calendar.

Get a lawyer quickly

In many cases you need a lawyer and a procurador, who is your representative before the court. Contact a lawyer immediately and give them a full copy of everything.

If money is short, apply for justicia gratuita (free legal aid) at the colegio de abogados. In some situations this pauses the deadlines. Do not wait for the answer before contacting a lawyer.

Keep everything

Keep the notice as you received it, the envelope or acknowledgment of receipt, and every document that came with it. They prove the date and method of delivery. The checklist, documents list and timeline below cover the steps in order.

Timeline and deadlines

• Check the notice is genuine: the court, the case number and how it arrived: the day you receive it

• Note the date and method of receipt and keep the envelope and a copy: the day you receive it

• Find the type of notice and the deadline it sets: right away, because many deadlines are short and cannot be extended

• Contact a lawyer, or apply for free legal aid if funds are short: immediately, before the deadline runs

• Answer a summons to appear in the case (emplazamiento), for example a civil claim: in an ordinary civil claim, 20 working days, counted from the day after service

Documents you need

• The court notice itself, with the issuing court (juzgado) and case number, kept as you received it.

• The envelope or the acknowledgment of receipt, which shows the date and how the notice arrived.

• A copy of the whole notice and every document that came with it, to give to your lawyer.

Checklist

• Check the issuing court, the case number and how the notice arrived.

• Write down the date and method of receipt, and keep the envelope, acknowledgment and a copy.

• Find the type of notice by its wording: information about a decision (notificación), a summons to answer (emplazamiento), a summons to attend (citación) or an order to do something (requerimiento).

• Note the deadline the notice sets and put it in your calendar.

• Contact a lawyer immediately, and apply for justicia gratuita at the colegio de abogados if funds are short.

• Keep every document and proof of delivery together for your lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a lawyer and a procurador to deal with a court notice?

Yes, in many cases you need both a lawyer and a procurador (a court representative), so contact a lawyer as soon as the notice arrives. Whether they are mandatory depends on the type of case. A lawyer can tell you quickly.

What happens if I ignore a Spanish court notice?

If you ignore a court notice, the case can go on without you and end in a default judgment, fines or enforcement against you. A summons to appear (emplazamiento) lets the case continue without you, and a summons to attend a hearing (citación) can bring fines. Read the notice and act within its deadline.

Can I get free legal help if I cannot afford a lawyer?

Yes, you can apply for justicia gratuita (free legal aid) at the colegio de abogados, the local bar association, if your funds are short. In some situations this suspends deadlines.