What do I need to get a court-appointed lawyer?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

You have to apply for legal aid (“justicia gratuita”) and show that your family's gross income does not exceed certain limits, which in 2026 are 14.400 euros a year for a single person, 18.000 for a family of fewer than four members and 21.600 for a family of four or more or a large family. You apply at the Bar Association (“colegio de la abogacía”) for the place where the case is being or will be heard, or at the first-instance court (“tribunal de instancia”) for your home address, which forwards the application to the Bar Association. If you meet the requirements, a lawyer and, if necessary, a court agent (“procurador”) are appointed for you provisionally while the Legal Aid Commission (“Comisión de Asistencia Jurídica Gratuita”) makes its decision. Some people are entitled whatever their income, such as victims of gender-based violence, terrorism or human trafficking in proceedings connected with it. The requirements The Legal Aid Act (“Ley de Asistencia Jurídica Gratuita”), which is the same throughout Spain, requires the following: Being a Spanish national, a citizen of another European Union country or a foreign national who is in Spain. That your gross income and resources, added to those of your family unit and counted from all sources and per year, do not exceed twice the IPREM if you do not belong to any family unit, two and a half times if the family unit has fewer than four members, or three times if it has four or more or is a large family. That your assets do not show that you can afford the case. Account is taken, for example, of properties other than your principal residence and of the returns on savings and investments. That you are litigating for a right of your own or for that of someone you legally represent, such as a minor child. The IPREM (“indicador público de renta de efectos múltiples”) is the public income indicator that the State uses as a benchmark for many types of aid. In 2026 it is 7.200 euros a year, hence the figures above. The family unit is the one used for the income tax return. It is basically made up of a married couple or unmarried partners with their minor children and, where there is no couple, the father or the mother with the minor children who live with him or her. If the case sets members of the same family against each other, as in a divorce, only the income of the applicant counts. If your income exceeds the limits without going above five times the IPREM, 36.000 euros, the Commission may grant the right exceptionally, in full or in part, on account of circumstances such as family responsibilities or health. How to apply in Catalonia Bar Associations have free legal guidance services that provide information and help with filing the application. In Barcelona and L'Hospitalet, the application is processed by the Barcelona Bar Association's service at the “Ciutat de la Justícia” court complex. The steps are as follows: You fill in the official form with your financial and family details, the matter and the opposing party. In it, you authorise those details to be checked with the public authorities. You provide the documents requested, such as your “DNI” (Spanish identity card) or “NIE” (foreigner's identification number), proof of income and, if there is one, the claim or the summons you have received. If anything is missing, you have ten working days to complete it or the application is closed. If you meet the requirements, the Bar Association appoints a lawyer within fifteen days at most and, where one is compulsory, the court agents' association (“colegio de procuradores”) appoints a court agent. The Legal Aid Commission, which in Catalonia is organised by the Generalitat de Catalunya (the Catalan government), decides within thirty days. If it does not decide within that time, the Bar Association's decision stands confirmed. It is advisable to apply as soon as possible, because the application does not in itself halt the case. If the case is already under way and a time limit is running against you, you can ask the court to suspend it until your application is decided or a lawyer is appointed for you, provided that you filed the application before the time limit expired. If legal aid is granted, you do not pay the lawyer or the court agent, the deposits required to appeal or the experts appointed by the court. If it is refused, the lawyer and the court agent appointed can charge you their fees.