Employment law · Spain
Find the right employment contract lawyer in Spain
Spanish employment matters run on written contracts, collective agreements and short court deadlines. Tell us what has happened with your job, your dismissal or your negotiation, and we will match you with a lawyer who handles this work every day in Spain.
- Contract review, dismissal claims and severance negotiations
- Lawyers registered with a Spanish Colegio de la Abogacía
- Free matching, with a first response usually in 24–48 hours
Free and without obligation — you decide whether to instruct.
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Employment law in Spain
The contract is the starting point
Spanish employment relationships rest on written contracts, collective agreements and the applicable labour legislation, and disputes about them are heard by the Social Courts (Juzgados de lo Social). Whether you are an employee facing a dismissal, a fixed-term worker whose contract was not renewed, or an employer reviewing terms before signature, the practical questions are the same: what does the contract actually say, which rules apply, and how quickly must you act? A dismissal claim, for example, must generally be filed within 20 working days. An employment contract lawyer in Spain reads your documents, explains your realistic options and represents you before the labour courts. Our free matching service introduces you to a lawyer who already handles this type of matter.
Spain in practice
How employment contract matters work in Spain — and the deadlines that apply
Employment contract questions in Spain are decided by a specific set of courts, professional rules and time limits. The points below summarise how the system is organised, based on official Spanish and European Union sources.
The Social Courts hear labour disputes
Employment cases are heard at first instance by the Social Courts (Juzgados de lo Social), part of the single ordinary judiciary established by Article 117 of the 1978 Constitution. Appeals go to the High Courts of Justice (Tribunales Superiores de Justicia) of each Autonomous Community, and cassation is a matter for the Social Chamber of the Supreme Court in Madrid.
Who may practise as a lawyer in Spain
To practise, a lawyer must hold a Grado en Derecho, complete a specialised access master’s or an equivalent Bar-run course of 90 ECTS including professional practice, pass the state professional aptitude examination under Law 34/2006, and belong to a Colegio de la Abogacía. Under Royal Decree 135/2021, registration in a single Colegio is enough to practise throughout Spain.
What a labour claim costs
The labour order is not subject to the court fee (tasa judicial) that applies in civil and contentious-administrative proceedings. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed, with no binding official tariffs; bar associations publish only non-binding guideline criteria, and where costs are awarded against the losing party, lawyers’ and procuradores’ fees are capped at one third of the amount in dispute.
Free legal aid and how to apply
Free legal aid (asistencia jurídica gratuita) under Law 1/1996 covers a lawyer, a procurador, experts and exemption from procedural costs for people without sufficient means. Eligibility is linked to the IPREM public income indicator — generally twice the IPREM for a household, raised to three or four times with dependent family members. Applications are filed with the Colegio de la Abogacía of the competent court.
Appearing in court and appealing
A worker may appear in person at first instance in the social jurisdiction, but representation by a lawyer is required for appeals to the High Courts of Justice and to the Supreme Court. Before the higher courts, technical direction by an abogado and representation by a procurador are the ordinary requirements.
Legislation first, jurisprudence alongside
Spain follows the continental civil-law model, so employment rights rest on legislation and collective agreements rather than on previous judgments. The Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo), sitting in its Social Chamber, unifies the interpretation of the law through its jurisprudence, which is why a lawyer will often explain how a clause is likely to be read in practice.
Key time limit — Employment Law
Dismissal claim (despido) — 20 working days. A short, strictly applied window, so advice should be sought as soon as the dismissal comes to your attention.
Country details on this page are taken from official Spanish and European Union sources — the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española and the EU e-Justice portal — consulted in 2025.
- e-Justice — National justice systems: Spain
- Estatuto General de la Abogacía Española (Royal Decree 135/2021)
- Labour Procedure Act — dismissal claim time limit
- Civil Code (Código Civil) — limitation periods
- Law 1/1996 on free legal aid
- Inheritance and Gift Tax Act — filing period
- Law 39/2015 on administrative procedure — administrative appeals
- Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (CGAE)
Common situations
What clients bring to us
These are the three situations we are asked about most often by employees and employers in Spain.
Unclear contract terms
Commission schemes, variable hours and loosely drafted duties are hard to interpret on your own. You may not know which clauses are enforceable until a lawyer reads the whole contract against the applicable collective agreement.
Dismissal or non-renewal
Employers sometimes present a dismissal as a voluntary exit, or simply let a fixed-term contract expire. The documents you sign, and the date you sign them, can shape what you are able to claim.
Deadlines pass quickly
Labour claims are subject to short, strictly applied time limits, and the 20-working-day window for a dismissal claim is the clearest example. Waiting to collect paperwork before speaking to a lawyer can narrow your options.
Why use our matching
How we help you find the right lawyer
We are a matching service, not a law firm: we connect you with lawyers who already work on Spanish employment matters.
Specialist labour lawyers only
We match you with lawyers whose practice focuses on Spanish employment law, including contract review, dismissal claims and severance negotiations, rather than general practitioners who handle employment matters only occasionally.
You keep control of costs
Lawyers’ fees in Spain are freely agreed between lawyer and client; there are no binding official tariffs, and bar associations publish only non-binding guideline criteria. You receive the fee basis before you commit.
Free matching, no obligation
Describing your situation costs nothing and does not commit you to instruct anyone. You decide whether to go ahead once you have spoken to the lawyer and understand the proposed approach.
Cases handled in your language
Lawyers in our network work with international clients and can run your matter in English or Spanish, and they appear before Social Courts across Spain, from Madrid and Barcelona to Valencia, Sevilla, Málaga and Bilbao.
Cross-border
Where else we can match lawyers
If your contract, your employer or your assets sit outside Spain, we can also introduce you to lawyers in neighbouring and other European jurisdictions.
Questions
Employment contracts in Spain: frequently asked questions
How quickly must I act after a dismissal in Spain?
A dismissal claim in Spain must generally be brought within 20 working days, a deadline that is short and strictly applied by the courts. Because payslips, the contract and any settlement offer all need to be reviewed before a claim is filed, the sensible step is to speak to a lawyer soon after the dismissal.
Can I bring an employment claim without a lawyer?
At first instance in the social jurisdiction a worker may appear in person before the Juzgados de lo Social, although many people choose representation. If the case goes further, representation by a lawyer is required for appeals to the High Courts of Justice and to the Supreme Court, so early advice is usually worthwhile.
What does an employment contract lawyer in Spain cost?
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client; Spain has no binding official tariffs, and bar associations publish only non-binding guideline criteria. The labour order is not subject to the court fee (tasa judicial). Our matching service is free, and you will know the fee basis before instructing anyone.
Can I get free legal aid for a labour dispute in Spain?
Free legal aid (asistencia jurídica gratuita) under Law 1/1996 can cover a lawyer, a procurador, experts and exemption from procedural costs where the household lacks sufficient means. Eligibility is linked to the IPREM indicator — generally twice the IPREM, raised to three or four times with dependent family members — and applications are filed with the Colegio de la Abogacía of the competent court.
Which courts handle employment contract disputes in Spain?
At first instance, employment matters go to the Social Courts (Juzgados de lo Social). Appeals are heard by the High Courts of Justice (Tribunales Superiores de Justicia) of each Autonomous Community, while the Social Chamber of the Supreme Court in Madrid deals with cassation and unifies the interpretation of the law.
Does a Spanish court have to follow earlier decisions?
Spain is a continental civil-law country where legislation, not precedent, is the primary source of law. Supreme Court decisions nevertheless unify the interpretation of statutes through the doctrine of jurisprudencia, so lawyers rely on them heavily when assessing how a particular contract clause or dismissal is likely to be treated.
Next step
Tell us about your situation
Describe your role, your contract and what has happened — a dismissal, a non-renewal, unpaid commission or terms you are about to sign. We will match you with an employment contract lawyer in Spain who handles this kind of work, and the first response usually arrives within 24–48 hours.