Where to get free first legal advice in Spain

Terms used

• Colegio de Abogados — The Colegio de Abogados is the provincial bar association, the professional body of lawyers in a province.
• Servicio de Orientación Jurídica — The Servicio de Orientación Jurídica (SOJ) is a Colegio's free service giving first legal advice to the public.
• Justicia gratuita — Justicia gratuita is Spain's legal aid, which pays for a lawyer and court costs if your means are low.
• Turno de oficio — The turno de oficio is the duty-lawyer rota that supplies state-paid lawyers to people who qualify for legal aid.

Key rules

• Free first advice: The Colegio's orientation service is open to anyone, including foreign residents and people without papers.
• Advice only: The orientation lawyer explains your options but does not take your case or go to court for you.
• Local service: Each province's Colegio runs its own service, so hours, booking and topics differ.
• Immigration help: Migrant NGOs are often the best first stop for immigration or asylum questions.

Start with the bar association's free orientation service

Your best first stop is the Colegio de Abogados for your province. Most run a Servicio de Orientación Jurídica (SOJ). It gives free first advice to anyone, whatever your income or nationality, and often you don't have to prove your means.

A duty lawyer listens to your problem, explains your options and the likely procedure, and tells you whether you could qualify for justicia gratuita. That is the system that pays for a lawyer if your income is low.

The service is advice only. The lawyer won't take your case, write your claim or represent you in court. If legal aid is granted, a legal aid commission assigns a lawyer for the case.

Expect a short session of about 15 to 30 minutes, usually by appointment. You can book by phone, online or in person at the Colegio. The desk is often at the courthouse. Hours differ, but weekday mornings are common.

Larger Colegios, such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, also run specialist orientation for immigration, housing and mortgage problems, and domestic violence. Ask whether yours does.

How to find your local service

Each province has its own Colegio, so you need the right one.

1. Find your province's Colegio on the national bar council's website, which lists all of them.
2. On the Colegio's site, look for Servicio de Orientación Jurídica, SOJ, turno de oficio or justicia gratuita.
3. If the site is unclear, phone the Colegio's secretariat. Ask for the hours and how to book.
4. Your regional justice department's website often lists the legal aid commission and legal aid offices for your province. The Basque Country, Catalonia and some other regions have their own justice portals.

Other free sources

• Migrant NGOs. CEAR (asylum and refugee protection), Cruz Roja, Accem, Red Acoge and Cáritas give advice on immigration and asylum. Some also offer social support.
• Town hall advice offices. Many city councils run immigrant information or advice offices, such as SAIER in Barcelona. Local consumer offices (OMIC) cover consumer problems, and tenant unions cover housing.
• Union-run centres. CITE centres, run with trade unions, help migrant workers.
• University legal clinics. Some universities run them, usually for people sent by social services or NGOs.

Most of these are concentrated in large cities. Each sets its own rules on who it helps, languages and waiting times. Some need an appointment or a referral, so call first.

Which one to choose

Use the Colegio if you want a lawyer's view on any legal problem. Use an NGO for immigration or asylum. Use your town hall for local, practical or consumer issues. The decision and checklist below help you pick, and the quick answers cover common legal aid questions.

Choosing between options

Which free source of first legal advice should you use?

• Colegio de Abogados orientation service: You want a general first opinion on any legal problem. It is open to anyone, whatever your income or nationality, and you often don't need to prove your means.

• Migrant NGO: Your problem is about immigration, asylum or reception, or you need help in your language or ongoing support. Some NGOs go beyond advice and help with the case.

• Town hall advice office or consumer office: You live in a city with an immigrant information office, or your problem is about housing or a consumer dispute.

• University legal clinic: Social services or an NGO has referred you. Clinics usually take referred cases only and exist in only some cities.

Start with the Colegio orientation service, since every province has one. Add an NGO or town hall office when your problem is about immigration or housing, or when you need your own language or case support.

Checklist

• Find the Colegio de Abogados (the provincial bar association) for your province on the national bar council's website, which lists every Colegio with a link to its site.

• Phone the Colegio's secretariat if the website is unclear, and ask for the hours and how to book.

• Book a free orientation session by phone, online or in person. The desk is often at the courthouse.

• Ask the Colegio whether it runs specialist orientation for immigration, housing and mortgage problems, or domestic violence.

• Prepare for a short session of about 15 to 30 minutes. The duty lawyer explains your options and says whether you could qualify for legal aid, but does not take your case or draft claims.

• Contact a migrant NGO such as CEAR, Cruz Roja, Accem, Red Acoge or Cáritas for advice on immigration or asylum, and ask about languages and waiting times.

• Ask your town hall for its immigrant advice office, or its consumer office (OMIC) for housing and consumer problems.

• Ask social services or an NGO about a university legal clinic if one exists in your city, since these usually take referrals.

Quick answers about free legal aid in Spain

Does legal aid pay the other side's costs if I lose?

No, you only pay the other side's costs if your finances improve within three years of the end of the case. That means your income and assets in that time exceed three times the IPREM, the public benchmark figure used for income limits. You also pay if the aid is later withdrawn or if you acted in bad faith or recklessly.

Can I ask for legal aid after my case has already started?

Yes, you can ask for legal aid at any stage, but it does not cover work done before you applied. If you applied in time and not just to delay things, the benefit counts from the date of your request, and the case may be paused while the commission decides. Apply before your first filing or deadline.

Do I need a NIE or residence card to apply for legal aid as a non-EU foreigner?

No, not always: without legal residence you can still get free legal aid in cases about your stay, return, expulsion or asylum, or as a victim of violence or trafficking. For other matters you generally need to be legally resident. Bring your passport and proof of your residence status; a passport is accepted as ID if you have no NIE.

Can I choose my own turno de oficio lawyer?

No, the Colegio de Abogados assigns your duty lawyer in turn from its roster, and you cannot choose. If you want a specific lawyer, you pay them privately, and legal aid will not cover their fees. In criminal cases, if you are detained, you may name your own lawyer.