Elsa
Lawyer · Lisbon, Portugal
- 640 cases handled · 1 in this service
- 29+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Portuguese
- Law, Autonoma University Lisbon
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4.88(11 reviews)
A fine in Portugal for most everyday matters is a coima: a penalty imposed in an administrative offence procedure called contraordenação, as opposed to a criminal multa. People search for an administrative fine, a penalty notice, a traffic or parking fine, a tax fine or how to appeal a fine in Portugal. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Dealing with Fines & Administrative Matters”. English-speaking lawyers in Portugal defend residents and visitors against fines from the road safety authority (ANSR), the police, the tax office (Finanças), municipalities and other agencies.
The procedure starts with a notice (auto de contraordenação) that states the facts, the amount and a short deadline. Within that deadline the person either pays, sometimes at a reduced amount, or files a written defence (defesa) with the authority, with evidence and a few witnesses if needed; for road fines a deposit of the amount can be lodged instead of payment while the defence is examined. Silence lets the decision become final. If the authority upholds the fine, the decision can be challenged in court (impugnação judicial). Non-resident drivers may be asked to pay on the spot or to lodge the deposit before continuing their journey.
Deadlines run from notification, and notices sent to addresses abroad or to rental firms are a frequent source of mistakes in the procedure that a defence can raise. Paying the reduced amount usually closes the case. Tax and municipal fines follow their own variants of the procedure. Unpaid fines grow with costs and can be enforced against Portuguese assets or raised when a vehicle is stopped. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Translates and checks the notice, asks the authority for the file, identifies formal defects and substantive arguments, files the defence or the court challenge under a power of attorney, and handles payment or the recovery of a deposit when the fine is withdrawn.
Yes. The defence is filed in writing, and a lawyer in Portugal can file it and receive the correspondence for you.
Within the EU and some other countries vehicle data is exchanged, and rental companies pass on the driver's details, so notices do arrive.
Payment generally ends the procedure. Anyone who wants to contest usually lodges the deposit instead.
The fine becomes final, costs are added, and it can be collected through enforcement or at a police check.
No, but the notices are in Portuguese and the deadlines are short; many people instruct one at the court stage at the latest.
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The lawyer in Italy worked professionally and did good work, and I am happy with his service.
The lawyer responded quickly and was very helpful in dealing with a customs issue. She was the only person who answered me after I had contacted around five different agencies. I appreciate her promptness, knowledge and flexibility at a difficult and confusing time, and should I need legal help again, I will turn to her.
It was a good experience. The Italian lawyer was very professional and closed the case quickly.
Real expertise in her field, good understanding and great communication, finding what works best for her clients. Honest, well spoken, and perfect English.
The lawyer was very helpful with my questions about receiving an inheritance and drafting powers of attorney for my brother. She invested a lot of additional time in understanding what the banks need from the POA that has to be shown to the different banks. Her English was perfect, and I would definitely use her again for other Portuguese legal matters.
The lawyer was great. I was hesitant about sending money overseas to someone I did not know, but after speaking with her I was at ease. She always responded to my emails, and when I told her my paperwork had never arrived in the mail she asked no questions and sent more by special delivery, which I received within a week. Her English was perfect and I was very satisfied. If need be I would contact her to have work done again, and I will advise any friends to do the same.
The lawyer has been wonderful in every way! I recommended him to my friend, and he has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me try to resolve a very difficult and complex problem. I am very satisfied.
The lawyer put so much effort into my request and was amazing. She kept asking whether everything was fine and was happy to help me at any time without charging any extra costs. She did a great job, and I am very satisfied with how it turned out.
Excellent service and very professional.
The professionalism far exceeded what I have been used to with similar practices in other European countries. The lawyer was very caring and sensitive in assisting with a very emotional family bereavement in the Algarve.
Her service was first class, the best I could have hoped for. She was helpful at every turn and happily explained whatever I had not understood, and I was completely satisfied with the outcome. The survey cannot capture the extent of what she did for my family. Her grasp of her field, and explaining everything in both Portuguese and English, is amazing. I am deeply grateful.
He is an excellent lawyer and a true professional. I used his services on two occasions: first a consultation in the summer of 2025 about the best way for a US citizen like me to get a Portuguese visa, and then, most recently, to get a marriage license in Portugal. Since my wife and I left it quite late, we took him on in a rush, close to the deadline, and he finished everything extremely quickly and helped us collect and translate the required documents. His English is flawless, so we never had trouble understanding him, and communication was great throughout. The whole process was incredibly smooth. He even gave us additional service beyond what we had hired him for, and he made the entire thing stress-free. If you need any legal assistance, I highly recommend him; he is our lawyer of choice in Portugal.