Differences in lawyers and consultants in Spain

Difference between lawyers (Abogados) and any other advisers or consultants here in Spain

Regular readers will know that I have been around the proverbial block a few times as a lawyer over the last 30 years and as Consul for Denmark. During all this time I have seen a considerable number of complaints about companies or people who claim to be lawyers but who are not legally qualified to be called that and give advice under the name of advisers, consultant or some other name. I want to take this opportunity to write about the difference between lawyers (Abogados) and any other advisers or consultants here in Spain.

It is right to say that the EU regulation of free services, allows anyone to provide services in this area without asking for a degree or qualifications, but some of these professions, such as lawyers or doctors, are ruled by the law and have ethical codes which force the professionals who are practising to be registered at an official association.

A number of people have had some bad experiences with so called lawyers here in Spain which in some cases could have been avoided if you they had instructed properly registered Spanish lawyers.

When instructing a lawyer to act in your behalf you need a properly registered lawyer in the Spanish Bar association (Colegio de abogados). Someone who is registered at the Spanish bar association and has to follow the code of ethics and has indemnity insurance just in case they give advice which proves to the negligent.

What you need to do when instructing a lawyer in Spain is to get the the Spanish Bar Association registration number in writing that way you can check and be assured that you are being represented by a registered lawyer who is able to practice law in Spain. If you are given a fake number this is a criminal offence in Spain. Someone  may have allthe necessary certificates but they may have been struck off by the Bar Association andit is necessary to check their number with the Bar Association.You may see lawyershere describing themselves as ‘Solicitors’ this is the closest translation of ‘Abogado’here in Spain.

A foreign European lawyer can be registered at a Bar Association in Spain but they can only give legal advice re the laws of their own home country. To give advice on Spanish law they must have a Spanish law degree or have completed a conversion process. Beware of Consultants, Legal advisors and the like, lawyers have sat exams and are properly regulated to ensure that they give correct legal advice.

It is advisable to put a little effort into choosing your own lawyer and completing your own due diligence so as to avoid a potential disaster further down the line. Thankfully cases of professional negligence are rare but sadly they do exist here in Spain just like other countries.

Marisa Moreno Consul for Denmark & Senior Lawyer and founder of Just LawSolicitors.

www.justlawsolictors.com

contact@justlawsolicitors.com

Thank you for reading this article, “Differences in lawyers and consultants in Spain”. For more, visit the Euro Weekly News website.
Author badge placeholder
Written by

Kaela

Comments