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3w ago

Spain’s Free Legal Aid System Under Strain as Lawyer Participation Falls

Bar associations used July 12 events to demand a new legal aid law with fairer fees following months of rising caseloads alongside declining lawyer participation.

Imagen de la sede del Colegio de Abogados de Barcelona.
Image
Abogados del turno de oficio, en la concentración simbólica celebrada en el Colegio de Alzira.
Se celebra en Torrent el Día de a Justicia Gratuita y del Turno de Oficio

Overview

  • Commemorations on July 12 saw institutions nationwide mark the Day of Free Legal Aid, spotlighting the underfunded Turno de Oficio.
  • Córdoba’s roster of legal aid attorneys dropped from 704 in 2023 to 686 this year, while Barcelona recorded an 18% year-on-year surge in gender-violence cases.
  • Community of Madrid urged a system overhaul despite serving 70,677 clients in 2024 and boosting its legal aid budget by 13.2%.
  • Practitioners warn that frozen fee scales for over 15 years and low pay risk further lawyer withdrawals, prompting calls for updated modules and full compensation.
  • Calls intensify for consistent regional funding and a revamped national law to safeguard universal access to justice and professional sustainability.