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Disputes can be resolved without going to court by means of mediation - see ‘Mediation in Member States - Spain’.
The parties may also seek mediation after legal proceedings have been initiated.
The time limit for bringing a court action varies depending on the case. The issue of time limits or limitation periods is legally complex, and you would be best advised to consult a lawyer or a law centre that provides information on access to justice.
As a general rule, and for illustrative purposes only:
If you opt to resolve the dispute through the courts, then you must go to a court in this Member State.
Please see the rules on jurisdiction at ‘Jurisdiction of the courts’.
Please see the rules on jurisdiction at ‘Jurisdiction of the courts’.
As a general rule, in order to go to court in Spain you need to employ:
You do not need to employ these practitioners in the following cases:
Applications must be filed with the Court Registry for the location in question. Applications will be dealt with by:
Court Clerks and officials designated by them are the only people able to confirm the date and time at which claims, documents commencing proceedings and any other documents for which there are mandatory time limits have been filed.
Civil or commercial claims cannot be filed with any other public body, including the duty court.
In principle, Spanish must be used in court proceedings. In those Autonomous Communities that have their own language (Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Galicia and the Basque Country), that language may also be used.
Anyone else taking part in the proceedings may use either Spanish or the language of the Autonomous Community where the proceedings are being held, in both written documents and oral proceedings. If someone cannot understand the Autonomous Community language, the court will appoint an interpreter to provide a translation into Spanish. Such appointment will be made either where stipulated by law or on request by the person claiming denial of due process. If someone other than a party gives evidence in a different language because they cannot speak Spanish or the language of the Autonomous Community, the party proposing that evidence will be responsible for providing an interpreter.
Proceedings must always be commenced in writing in a document known as a ‘claim’ (demanda), which is straightforward for cases under 2 000 euros. It must contain the following information:
People who are not employing a court procedural representative can choose whether or not to deal with the courts electronically. They can change their chosen method at any time.
All legal practitioners are required to use the courts’ electronic or distance filing systems to submit both the initial application and subsequent claim documents, as well as other documents, to ensure that filings are genuine and to provide a reliable record that documents have been sent and received in full, as well as the date on which they were sent and received.
The following organisations and individuals are also required to deal with the courts electronically:
There are standard forms and printed documents for filing claims for amounts not exceeding 2 000 euros, and also for financial claims submitted under a special procedure known as an ‘order for payment procedure’. There is no limit on the amount that can be claimed under the order for payment procedure, but you must provide documentary evidence of the debt.
These forms (together with user guides) are available on the internet at:
Juicio-Verbal (for small claims)
Juicio Monitorio (for the special procedure)
They are also available to the public at the Court Registries and Central Services for each court district.
For claims not exceeding 2 000 euros this is a very simple document. All it needs to contain are the claimant’s personal details, the other party’s personal details, where known, and a precise description of what the claimant is asking for.
For claims of more than 2 000 euros, the document is more complicated and must be drafted by a lawyer because it must also include a description of the facts of the case, the legal grounds for the claim, and an ordered list clearly identifying the documents and other evidence submitted.
In both cases, the initial claim must be accompanied by all the documentary evidence in support of the claim, plus any expert witness reports or other evidence relating to the case. In general, these documents cannot be submitted at a later date, except in very special cases.
Individuals do not have to pay a fee.
Legal entities (companies, foundations, associations) must pay a fee in order to bring a claim in the civil, commercial or contentious administrative courts, and to appeal against a judgment handed down in the social courts. No fees are payable in the criminal courts. More information is available at:
Tasas judiciales (court fees)
In the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, legal entities (but not individuals) must pay a fee:
Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña Tasa (Autonomous Community of Catalonia. Fees)
There are no standard tariffs for lawyers’ fees. Both the level of fees and the method of payment are set by mutual agreement with the client.
There is a standard tariff for the fees charged by court procedural representatives.
Arancel Procuradores (standard tariff)
Legal practitioners generally ask for an up-front payment to cover initial costs, which is offset against the total fees. Proceedings are divided into stages, and practitioners can ask their clients to pay the corresponding percentage of the total fees at the start of each stage.
Practitioners do not usually ask for full payment of fees until the case is completed.
People who can prove that they do not have the means to go to court are entitled to legal aid.
Justicia Gratuita (legal aid, Ministry of Justice)
People’s means are assessed using an index known as the IPREM (public basic-level income index).
An individual is deemed to lack the means to go to court where their annual household income from all sources is no more than:
For 2021, the annual IPREM is € 6 778.80 (twelve instalments).
Certain not-for-profit organisations may also qualify for legal aid.
An action is officially considered to have been brought from the date on which it was submitted, once it has been submitted to the Clerk’s office and an order has been issued admitting the claim to process, following confirmation that the matter falls within the court’s jurisdiction.
You will be notified of the court’s decision to admit the claim to process and of all subsequent decisions via your court procedural representative, if you have one. Where a court procedural representative is not needed, you will be notified directly by recorded delivery to the address given in the claim.
If the claim contains an error that means it cannot be admitted to process, the court will allow you a period of time in which to correct it. If the error cannot be corrected, the Clerk to the Court will inform the Judge, who will decide whether or not to allow the claim to proceed.
The parties will be notified immediately of all stages or events in the proceedings, either directly or through their court procedural representative where they have one.
As a general rule, there is no set timetable for proceedings, but there are time limits that have to be met.
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