What makes the difference
Lawyers you can verify
Every lawyer here is registered with the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Alicante and has a public bar number. Check it before you instruct anyone in Spain.
Our own medical assessment
In injury claims we have in-house medical assessment and rehabilitation. The report your claim rests on does not come from the insurance company.
Your case, in your language
The Spanish procedure is explained in English at every step, and most matters can be handled by power of attorney if you live abroad.
From first letter to judgment
We act at every stage, in and out of court: negotiation with the other side, the notary and Land Registry, and litigation where it is needed.
Where foreign residents need us
Wills and inheritance
Spanish wills, intestacy, the declaración de herederos, inheritance tax and disputes between heirs. Cross-border estates under EU Regulation 650/2012, which lets you choose the law of your nationality.
Buying and selling property
The checks that matter happen before you sign, not after: nota simple at the Land Registry, outstanding charges, unpaid community fees and undeclared extensions.
Road accidents and injury
Compensation under the Ley 35/2015 scale, with the 2026 figures. The insurer has three months to make a formal offer, and the claim expires one year after the accident.
Employment disputes
Dismissals, unpaid wages and permanent disability claims. The deadline to challenge a dismissal is twenty working days, and it is not extended for being abroad.
We also act in English on banking and mortgage disputes, family law, criminal defence and appeals against the administration. Tell us about your case
Work out what is at stake
Before you instruct anyone, check the order of magnitude of your case yourself. Updated to the 2026 rules, no sign-up.
Spanish inheritance tax
Valencia region, with the 99 % relief introduced by Ley 6/2023. In English.
What would I actually pay to inherit?
Accident compensation
The Ley 35/2015 scale with the 2026 figures, uprated by 2.9 %. In Spanish.
What am I owed for my injuries?
Dismissal compensation
Article 56 of the Workers’ Statute, with the 720-day cap. In Spanish.
What should I be paid if I am dismissed?
Three deadlines worth knowing now
Spanish limitation periods are shorter than most people expect, and missing one is usually fatal to the claim.
| Matter | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Inheritance tax return | 6 months from the date of death |
| Road accident claim | 1 year, restarting on a formal insurer offer |
| Unfair dismissal | 20 working days |
Santamaría Baeza Abogados
We are a law firm in Alicante working across private, public and employment law. A significant part of our practice is with British, Irish, Dutch and Scandinavian clients who own property or live on the Costa Blanca.
Our managing partner, Vicente José Santamaría Baeza, is registered with the Alicante Bar under number 8,150 and works in civil, commercial and real estate law, including complex transactions and mortgage enforcement. Our employment department is led by Laura Cano Gálvez, bar number 5,376, with more than twenty-five years in practice.
Most legal problems foreign residents face in Spain are not complicated. They become complicated because nobody explained the process, and the deadlines, in a language the client actually thinks in.