Lawyers in Catalonia

Legal help in Catalonia

Catalonia (Catalunya) is an autonomous community in the north-east of Spain with its capital in Barcelona. It has four provinces — Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona — and two official languages, Catalan and Spanish. Foreign residents live mostly in and around Barcelona and on the coast: the Costa Brava in the province of Girona and the Costa Dorada in the province of Tarragona.

The lawyers on this page have offices in Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. The cities around Barcelona — L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Terrassa, Badalona and Sabadell — are within reach of them.

What is specific to Catalonia

• A civil code of its own — Catalonia has its own Civil Code (Codi civil de Catalunya), which covers family law, inheritance and property for people with Catalan civil status. Which rules apply to you, and to a Catalan property, is a question for your lawyer.
• Language — documents and official procedures may be in Catalan as well as Spanish; your lawyer explains them to you in English.
• Taxes set by the region — the community decides rates and reliefs for the property transfer tax, the stamp duty and the inheritance and gift tax.
• Courts — the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (Tribunal Superior de Justicia) sits in Barcelona.

What people usually need a lawyer for in Catalonia

• Business and employment — setting up a company or as self-employed, contracts, trademarks: Business Set-Up and Business Services.
• Residence and the NIE — permits for work, study and family: Immigration.
• Property — Property Purchase, Property Sale and Property Law.
• Family and inheritance — divorce, custody, a will: Family Law and Probate Law.

Questions and answers

Which law governs an inheritance in Catalonia?

For a person with Catalan civil status, the Civil Code of Catalonia; for a foreign resident, the EU succession regulation lets the person choose the law of their nationality in a will, otherwise the law of the country of habitual residence normally applies. Your lawyer tells you which rules fit your case.

Do I have to deal with documents in Catalan?

Procedures in Catalonia can be carried out in Catalan or in Spanish, and you are entitled to use Spanish. Your lawyer handles the paperwork and translates what you need.