The short answer: two countries, two lawyers
Thousands of people search every month for "Spanish lawyers in London". Most of them don't need a lawyer who speaks Spanish: they need to know WHICH COUNTRY their problem belongs to. An inheritance in Galicia, a divorce from someone living in Madrid or a debt being enforced in Seville are matters of Spanish law, handled by a lawyer registered with a Spanish bar, from London or from Spain. Your visa, your landlord in Peckham or your dismissal from a Soho restaurant are matters of English law, handled by a professional regulated here, whatever language they speak.
The detail almost nobody explains: since Brexit, a Spanish law qualification does not allow someone to practise English law independently. An EU lawyer can only work here as a Registered Foreign Lawyer within a firm regulated by the SRA: they can advise on Spanish law and assist under supervision, but they cannot handle your English property purchase, an English probate or court litigation on their own. And calling yourself a "solicitor" without being on the register is a criminal offence; "abogado" or "lawyer" are not, so look at the register, not the word.
Official links: What a foreign lawyer can do in England (SRA) · Bogus solicitors: how to spot them (SRA)
What you can do from London without a lawyer (and what it costs)
A good part of what people pay a "law firm" for gets sorted at the Consulate General of Spain in London (20 Draycott Place, SW3 2RZ, Sloane Square tube) or online with Cl@ve. Official fees in force since 1 January 2026:
- Power of attorney for a matter in Spain (selling a flat, accepting an inheritance, letting your sister act for you): £26.40 at the consulate; you request it by email with the form and your ID, and according to the consular website the wait is 2 to 4 weeks (powers of attorney). You must attend in person to sign.
- Careful: powers of attorney signed at the consulate are not valid in the United Kingdom. For an English matter, the power is signed before a British notary; and that power is valid in Spain with an apostille and an official translation.
- Hague apostille on a British document (birth certificate, marriage certificate, English power of attorney): £45 standard and £35 for the electronic e-Apostille, on the UK government website. Many private documents must first be signed by a notary or solicitor.
- Registering your child born here as Spanish: it is free and done by post with the British Full Birth Certificate; about two weeks if the file is complete, according to the consulate.
- Spanish birth certificate (online with Cl@ve) and criminal record certificate (online, fee via form 790): no lawyer and no travel.
- Nationality under the Democratic Memory Law (grandchildren): the deadline to request an appointment closed on 22 October 2025. Anyone offering to "open a route" in 2026 is selling smoke.
Official links: Consular fees 2026 (Consulate in London) · Get a British document legalised (GOV.UK) · Birth registration (Consulate in London)
When you DO need a lawyer registered in Spain
There are matters where the consulate's role ends and you need someone who practises in Spain. The most common among our community in London:
- An inheritance in Spain: inheritance tax must be filed within 6 months of the death, and the extra 6-month extension is only granted if requested within the first 5 months. The clock runs even while you are in London.
- Selling or buying a home in Spain from abroad, a divorce or custody case with a spouse living there, a debt or seizure being claimed in Spain, a traffic fine or a criminal matter there.
- How to check they are genuine: ask for their bar number and their Colegio, and look them up in the Spanish Bar Census, which is public. A practising lawyer shows up there in seconds.
- The Consulate publishes a list of firms with knowledge of Spanish, but read it with its own warning: "the Consular Office does not provide legal assistance and cannot recommend lawyers" and takes no responsibility for their work. It is a starting point, not an endorsement.
Official links: Spanish Bar Census (public) · Consulate's list of lawyers in London · Inheritance tax deadlines (Spanish Tax Agency)
When you need an ENGLISH lawyer even if they speak Spanish
If the problem is in England, the language is a relief, not a requirement. What is a requirement is that they are regulated here:
- Immigration (visas, settled status, asylum): only a solicitor or an IAA-registered adviser can advise you; giving immigration advice without registration is a criminal offence and, if you are scammed, you will not get your money back. We cover it in depth in our guide to finding a lawyer who speaks your language.
- Work (dismissal, unpaid wages): before a tribunal you must notify Acas, and its free helpline 0300 123 1100 has an interpreter on the spot. Many cases are resolved there without paying anyone.
- If you are arrested: you have the right to a free solicitor at the police station, 24 hours a day, regardless of income. Ask for one before answering anything.
- Housing and eviction: Shelter and public legal aid, below. Buying a house here: a regulated solicitor or conveyancer, never an unregistered "lawyer".
- How to check: the SRA's public register and the Law Society's Find a Solicitor, which lets you filter by language. Every genuine solicitor will give you their SRA number on request.
Official links: Public register of solicitors (SRA) · Find a Solicitor, with language filter (Law Society) · Regulated immigration advisers (GOV.UK)
Pensions between Spain and the UK: what adds up and what doesn't
If you have paid contributions in both countries, you lose nothing: periods worked in Spain count towards the UK pension and periods here count towards the Spanish one, and each country pays its share. The UK State Pension is paid in Spain and uprated every year. You claim through the International Pension Centre or Spanish Social Security, no lawyer needed. If someone charges you to "manage" your pension, first ask what they do that you cannot do for free.
Official links: Living in Spain: pensions and social security (GOV.UK)
The free doors, in both countries
Before paying anyone, try these. They are genuine and there is no small print:
- Legal aid: public legal aid covers housing and eviction, domestic abuse, asylum or discrimination cases, among others. Call Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4345. The adviser applies on your behalf, and applying costs nothing.
- Law Centres (free community lawyers by area) and Citizens Advice (free, independent advice on work, housing and benefits).
- In Spanish and Portuguese: IRMO (immigration, benefits and housing; 020 7733 9977, 11am to 1pm; IAA-regulated) and LAWRS for Latin American women (0808 145 4909, Tuesday to Friday 11am to 1pm).
- Spain has free legal aid (justicia gratuita) for those who can show lack of means; you apply at the Bar's legal guidance service or at the court. There is no specific rule for residents abroad: ask the Bar of the province where the matter is.
Official links: Check if you can get legal aid (GOV.UK) · List of Law Centres · IRMO · LAWRS
The red flags (in both languages)
Scams change accent, not method. The SRA publishes weekly alerts about cloned firms and fake inheritances, and the Spanish Bar warned in May 2026 about platforms with false data, repealed laws and impossible promises, especially in divorces, evictions and debts. The red flags, to keep:
- They won't give you a bar number (Spain) or an SRA or IAA number (England), or get annoyed when you ask.
- They "guarantee" the outcome: an inheritance, a visa, a ruling. Nobody honest guarantees what a judge or the Home Office decides.
- They charge to a personal account, cash only or via WhatsApp, with no contract or receipt. A real firm has a client account and issues invoices.
- They charge for procedures that are free or nearly free: birth registration, a Cl@ve certificate, legal aid, the consulate appointment.
- They offer nationality under the Democratic Memory Law in 2026: the deadline closed in October 2025.
- Before paying, two minutes: the Spanish Bar Census for Spanish matters and the SRA register for English ones. On our lawyers page we are gathering professionals who serve the community; if you are a registered lawyer or solicitor working in Spanish or Portuguese, create your page for free.
Official links: Scam alerts (SRA) · Warning about fraudulent legal platforms (Spanish Bar)
Frequently asked questions
Can a Spanish lawyer handle my UK visa?
Only if they are also registered here: as a solicitor (SRA) or as an IAA immigration adviser. A Spanish qualification alone is not valid for immigration, and advising without registration is a criminal offence in the UK.
Is a power of attorney I sign in London valid in Spain?
Yes, in two ways: signed at the Spanish Consulate (£26.40, by appointment and in person), or before a British notary with an apostille and an official translation. What doesn't work is the reverse: the consulate's power of attorney is not valid for UK matters.
My mother died in Spain and I live here. Do I need a lawyer?
To accept the inheritance and settle the tax, almost always yes, and quickly: the inheritance tax deadline is 6 months. The power of attorney for someone to represent you in Spain is done at the consulate, no lawyer needed.
How do I know a "Spanish law firm in London" is genuine?
Ask for two numbers: their bar number in Spain (check it in the Spanish Bar Census) and, if they handle English matters, the firm's SRA number (check it in the SRA register). If they have neither, it isn't a law firm: it's an unregulated agent.
Am I entitled to a free lawyer in England?
At the police station, always and unconditionally (duty solicitor). Beyond that, legal aid covers housing at risk, domestic abuse, asylum and other cases depending on income; and Law Centres, Citizens Advice, IRMO and LAWRS advise for free.