Administrative law lawyers in Spain
A public authority has fined you, refused what you applied for, gone silent on you or caused you damage. Our administrative law specialists take the file from the first written submission to the contencioso administrativo court (the Spanish administrative court division), and the first thing we check is the deadline: once a penalty is final there is no defence left, however good the arguments were. We act against any Spanish authority, from a town hall to a ministry, and throughout Spain.
What we handle
Your appeal has been rejected
Judicial review within two months of notification, before the administrative division of the Tribunal de Instancia (the Spanish first instance court) or the regional High Court, depending on which body issued the decision (art. 46.1 of Act 29/1998).
You were injured or your car was damaged by a public defect
State liability claim within one year of the event or of the point when the injuries stabilise, proving causation and valuing the damage against the official scale (arts. 32 to 37 of Act 40/2015).
The authority neither answers nor complies
Administrative silence opens the door: a prior formal request and, after three months without compliance, an action for failure to act so that the court orders the authority to do what it must (arts. 29 and 30 of Act 29/1998).
The file has been sitting still for too long
We plead lapse of the proceedings for exceeding the statutory time limit and limitation of the offence, a defence that voids the whole penalty without arguing the merits (arts. 25.1.b and 95 of Act 39/2015).
They are enforcing the fine while you appeal
A penalty is not enforceable until administrative remedies are exhausted, and once in court we apply for interim suspension by showing harm that is hard to repair (art. 90.3 of Act 39/2015 and arts. 129 to 136 of the Judicial Review Act).
You were expropriated and the works never happened
Right of reversion to recover the property by returning the updated compensation, with short deadlines that differ from case to case (arts. 54 and 55 of the 1954 Compulsory Purchase Act).
You were excluded from a public tender
Special procurement appeal within fifteen working days, free of charge and with automatic suspension of the award, before the contract is signed and there is no way back (arts. 44 to 60 of Public Procurement Act 9/2017).
How we work on it
We start with the notification date and with whether the decision exhausts administrative remedies, because that determines whether the next step is a reconsideration appeal, a higher body appeal or judicial review straight away. Then we look for the defects that win without arguing the merits: lapse of proceedings, limitation, lack of reasons, lack of competence or denial of a fair hearing. Only then do we turn to the substance and the evidence, which is almost always expert evidence. When enforcement really hurts, we ask for suspension in the first submission rather than at the end. In court the law requires both a lawyer and a procurador, and the firm arranges that representation: you do not have to look for anyone else.
Your matter is quoted after the consultation, because every case is different. The consultation fee is credited in full against the engagement if you go ahead.
Frequently asked questions
My fine offers a discount for early payment. Should I pay or appeal?
Paying with the reduction means waiving your right to appeal and closes the matter. It is worth it when the amount is small and the defence is weak; it is not when the penalty carries licence points, a disqualification or a record that will count against you later. That is the first thing we assess.
I appealed and nobody has answered. What now?
Silence counts as a refusal and opens the window for judicial review, which for deemed decisions is six months. Waiting indefinitely for a reply is the most common way of losing a case without ever arguing it.
Do I need a procurador as well as a lawyer?
Not in the administrative phase: a submission signed by a lawyer is enough. In court you do, alongside the lawyer, and the firm arranges both so that you do not have to organise anything yourself.
What does the appeal cost?
It is quoted case by case, because written submissions and a full judicial review with expert evidence are not the same job. The initial consultation is 100 euros for thirty minutes or 200 euros for one hour, is credited in full against the engagement, and you leave it with the deadline and the route already decided.
Law firm guides on this area
The dispute explained: what action lies, what deadline is running and what has to be proved.
- Your appeal was dismissed: taking the case to court
- You fell on a broken pavement: claiming against the authority
- The authority owes you something and does not deliver: the claim
- The penalty file lapsed and nobody noticed: how it falls
- They enforce the penalty while you appeal: seeking suspension
- They expropriated your land and never built: getting it back
- You were excluded from a public tender: the special review