Legal aid fees could rise by up to 79.7% in Spain

Lawyers handling especially complex criminal cases under Spain’s free legal aid scheme could see their fees rise by up to 79.7% in total. The proposed rates for the area covered by the Spanish Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations went to public consultation on Tuesday. The General Council of Spanish Lawyers welcomed the move but said it would study the draft before submitting comments.

Across legal aid work covered by the proposal, fees would rise by 16.6% in total. For ordinary criminal cases, the figure would be 33.1%. The new rates are not yet settled: the public consultation is under way.

A separate change to the legal aid rules adds 16 categories of paid work that did not exist in 2018. They include help for victims and work on dispute resolution and insolvency cases.

The council said the rates update would build on a rise approved in 2025. It said work on other parts of a new law could not move forward after elections were called, and it would continue to press for further improvements for legal aid lawyers.

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Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com