Criminal defence lawyer in Barcelona and L'Hospitalet
Villena Salarich Advocats is a firm focused on criminal law, based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, ten minutes from Barcelona. Our work is guided by technical rigour, discretion and close attention to each case, and covers every instance and court of the criminal jurisdiction. We appear before the courts of L'Hospitalet, Barcelona and judicial districts throughout Catalonia.
- Criminal defence at every stage: investigation, trial and appeal.
- Assistance on arrest and hearings before the duty court.
- Prison law: leave, classification and conditional release.
What we handle
The firm defends people under investigation and accused persons, and also represents victims who wish to join proceedings as a private prosecutor. Among other matters:
- Road safety offences: drink-driving, driving without a licence, reckless driving.
- Offences against property: theft, robbery, fraud, misappropriation.
- Assault and offences against the person.
- Hate crime and discrimination offences.
- Drug offences.
- Enforcement of sentences: suspension, community service and prison law matters.
- Clearing criminal records and police records.
We appear before the investigating and criminal courts, the Provincial Court (Audiencia Provincial), the High Court of Justice of Catalonia and the prison supervision courts, at the investigation stage, at trial and on appeal.
When do I need a criminal lawyer?
As early as possible. That is the short answer, and almost always the right one.
There is no need to wait for a summons or for a statement to be taken. The earlier the case is known, the more options stay open: producing documents, proposing evidence, preparing a statement or weighing up whether to give one at all.
Legal assistance is compulsory at certain points in the proceedings, but there are many others where it is not and matters just as much: when a summons as a suspect arrives, when the police ask for a voluntary statement, or when a plea agreement is put to you in the corridor of the court.
These are moments when decisions are made that are hard to undo afterwards, and the difference between deciding with information and deciding without it is considerable.
How criminal proceedings work in Spain
Criminal proceedings have three stages. The investigation establishes what happened and whether there is enough to go to trial: it may end with the case being dismissed. At trial, evidence is heard and judgment given. And there is an appeal stage before a higher court.
Depending on the seriousness and the circumstances, a case may follow the abbreviated procedure or be dealt with as a fast-track trial, resolved within days before the duty court.
We explain each of these stages in plain language in our guide to criminal proceedings.
How we work
Technical excellence. Every case is prepared on the law, the applicable case law and the documents on the file, not on impressions.
An individual assessment first. The first conversation is spent understanding the facts and explaining where you stand procedurally and what your options are, before any talk of strategy or fees.
Continuous information. Clients should know where their case stands and what comes next without having to ask.
Discretion and confidence. Everything communicated to the firm is covered by professional secrecy, including what is said in a first call that does not lead to instructions.
Out of hours: arrests and the duty court
Arrests give no notice. The firm keeps a criminal emergency line open twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, for arrests, immediate summonses and hearings before the duty court.
If a relative of yours has been arrested, you can appoint a lawyer of your choice on their behalf. We explain how, and what time limits apply, in the article on rights on arrest.
Where we are
The office is at Carrer del Centre 13, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, with appointments in person by arrangement.
We work in English, Spanish and Catalan.
Do you need a criminal defence lawyer?
If you have been summoned, reported or arrested, Villena Salarich Advocats is a law firm in Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat with experience in criminal law. Contact us and we will review your situation so that you can take advice before making any decision.