When buying property in Spain, investing or starting a business, or making a Spanish will (amongst other reasons), it is very important that you employ an experienced Spanish lawyer. Generally speaking you will find that fees are lower than those charged by their counterparts in northern Europe and when preparing contracts involving a specificsum of money, such as for property purchase, the fees are calculated as a percentage of the sum involved. In cases where a lawyer is obligatory and your income is below double the Spanish minimum wage,around 520.00 euros per month, you can obtain legal aid if you are a citizen of Europeor legaly resident in Spain.
A Spanish lawyer, or Abogado, is equivalent to a Solicitor and Barrister in th U.K. and an Attorney in the U.S.A.There are many trained Lawyers in Spain many of whom speak very good English and as with all walks of life there are good and bad amongst them so if possible select one via a personal recommendation.
As elsewhere in the world some abogados specialize in different areas of the law so it is wise to check that a particular abogado is familiar with your requirements.
The Law society in Spain is called the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados. It operates at provincial level and sets minimum levels of charges. Do not hesitate to ask your spanish lawyer for an estimate of his charges, better in writing. If you have a problem you can always take it up with the provincial "colegio" to which he is a member.
For all aspect of legal advice and how to get the most out of your Spanish lawyerDavid Searle's book is invaluable.
A Spanish lawyer often pays taxes and fees on your behalf and it is common practice for a Lawyer to ask you for a sum of money to put into his "client account" for which you will only receive a receipt. When all the transactions have been completed you should receive original receipt documents for the taxes paid, a statement of the Lawyer's own fees and the balance of your funds (if any). Always obtain an estimate of costs in advance, again preferably in writing.
If you are eligible, then legal aid is available for all cases, whether contentious or not, involving sums of over €900 and it covers all proceedings, appeals and enforcement of judgments. In cases involving smaller sums, for which the services of a solicitor and barrister are not compulsory, legal aid may be granted where the other party does have legal representation or where explicitly called for by the judge or court to ensure that the two parties are on an equal footing.
David Searle's book is invaluable.