Criminal defence · Barcelona
If you or someone close to you has been arrested, summoned or placed under investigation in Spain, you need to understand what is happening, and be understood, from the very first moment.
Facing criminal proceedings is difficult anywhere. Facing them in a foreign country, in a language you do not fully master, is harder still: what you say (and what you do not say) in the first hours can shape the whole procedure. Solving Legal is an independent law firm in Barcelona, in practice since 2013, and criminal defence is one of its core areas. I handle every matter personally, in English, from the police station to trial.
This page explains, in general terms, what happens in the most common urgent situations and how we can help. It is general information, not advice on your specific case: for that, contact us.
In Spain, a detained person has the right to a lawyer from the very first moment, the right to be informed of the facts attributed to them, the right to remain silent and the right to an interpreter. You do not have to accept the duty lawyer assigned at the police station (the abogado de oficio): the detainee or their family can appoint a lawyer of their own choice (abogado de confianza) at any time. If you call us, we take over the assistance and are present at the police station and before the court. The first statement matters: it should never be improvised.
A court summons (citación) may call you as a witness or as an investigado, the person under investigation (roughly what other systems call a suspect or defendant at the pre-trial stage). The difference is decisive for your rights and for how to prepare. Do not attend a hearing as investigado without speaking to a lawyer first: preparing the statement, or deciding to remain silent, is part of the defence.
Court interpreters translate your words; they do not defend you. Nuance is where cases are won and lost: what exactly you are being asked, what a plea deal (conformidad) really implies, which deadlines are running against you. Working with a lawyer who explains all of this to you directly in English, without intermediaries, removes a layer of risk precisely where you can least afford it.
The firm works in Spanish, Catalan, English and German, and is used to matters with a cross-border component: foreign residents and visitors, companies with interests in Spain, and coordination with lawyers in other jurisdictions.
Every matter is prepared with a verifiable method: each legal source checked against the official text, each deadline tracked. Read how I work.
Urgent matters: call +34 699 241 599 or write on WhatsApp. Everything else: tell us about your matter and we will reply as soon as possible.
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