Certificate of Spanish Law (Expert Opinion)

Updated: October 2025

There are situations where a court, registry, or private entity outside Spain needs an authoritative explanation of Spanish law.
CostaLuz Lawyers prepares Certificates of Spanish Law, clear and bilingual expert reports that explain how Spanish law applies to your specific case.

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What is a Certificate of Spanish Law?

It’s a formal legal opinion that summarises the relevant provisions of Spanish law, interprets them, and applies them to your situation.
The document is written in double-column bilingual format (Spanish on the left, English on the right) for clarity and direct usability abroad.

Each certificate is:

• Signed by a Spanish lawyer from CostaLuz Lawyers, qualified and registered with a Spanish Bar Association.
• Optionally authenticated by a Spanish Notary Public, if the document needs public or international validity.
• Capable of carrying a Hague Apostille if required.

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When might you need one?

• Inheritance and estate planning: to explain Spanish forced heirship rules, taxation timelines, or acceptance of inheritance procedures.

Important: Spanish succession follows two distinct paths depending on whether the deceased left a valid will (testate) or not (intestate). The intestate path requires a Declaration of Intestate Heirs (Declaración de Herederos Abintestato) — a step not needed when a will exists. Learn more about the succession process →

• Separation or divorce: to show how Spanish matrimonial property regimes or child maintenance laws apply.
• Contract or corporate matters: for foreign courts or registries needing to verify the meaning of a Spanish contract clause or company rule.
• Administrative and immigration cases: to clarify Spanish residency or licensing regulations.
• Private or academic purposes: to understand how Spanish law operates in a cross-border scenario.

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Who can issue it?

Under Spanish law, a Certificate or Report on Spanish Law can be issued by:

1. A Spanish Lawyer

A Spanish lawyer (abogado) is the most common professional to prepare these certificates.
They analyse the law, cite the applicable legislation and case law, and explain how it applies to the facts you provide.
If you want the document to have official evidentiary value, it can be signed before a notary or apostilled.

2. A University Professor of Law

A professor or lecturer in Spanish law can also issue an academic legal opinion, especially when a comparative or doctrinal approach is required.
For official or international use, it’s advisable for the professor’s signature to be authenticated before a notary, confirming identity and capacity.

Both formats —lawyer’s or professor’s— are accepted in most foreign jurisdictions, depending on the context.

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Does it need to be notarised?

Not always. It depends on the purpose:

Purpose	Notarisation Needed?
Internal or private use (e.g. negotiation, consultancy, educational purposes)	❌ Not necessary. Signed by the lawyer is enough.
To be used before a foreign court, registry or authority	✅ Recommended. The notary authenticates the lawyer’s or professor’s signature and date.
If the authority requires international validity	✅ Add Hague Apostille after notarisation.

If the certificate is not notarised, we issue it on official letterhead, with qualified electronic signature and timestamp for authenticity.

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What the certificate includes

• Bilingual double-column text (Spanish/English).
• Explanation of applicable Spanish law, including references to codes, regulations, and case law.
• Application to your specific case or question.
• Executive summary for quick understanding by foreign decision-makers.
• Annexes with key legal citations.
• Optional Notarial authentication and Apostille.

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How we prepare it

1. Initial review – We confirm your jurisdiction, purpose, and deadline.
2. Fact gathering – You provide the relevant background and supporting documents.
3. Legal analysis – We identify the applicable legislation, regulations, and case law.
4. Drafting – We write a clear, reasoned opinion in bilingual format.
5. Verification – Another lawyer reviews for precision and consistency.
6. Finalisation – You receive the document by email (PDF) and, if required, notarised hard copies by courier.

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Delivery time

• Standard service: 3–5 working days after receiving all required information.
• Urgent requests: 24–48 hours for focused questions (surcharge applies).
• Apostille or sworn translation: add 2–3 days.

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Cost

Fees depend on:

• Complexity and number of legal issues involved.
• Need for notarisation or apostille.
• Whether translation or sworn translator involvement is required.

We provide a clear fixed quote before starting.

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What we’ll need from you

• The purpose of the certificate and where it will be used.
• Questions or points that the authority (or you) need answered.
• A summary of facts and supporting documents.
• Language and format requirements (PDF, originals, apostille, etc.).
• Deadline for delivery.

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Why choose CostaLuz Lawyers

Our team combines technical precision with cross-border clarity.
We’ve issued bilingual certificates accepted by courts, banks, and authorities in the UK, US, Canada, and EU jurisdictions.
Each opinion is written in plain legal English and Spanish — ready to be read, cited, and trusted.

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In summary:
Whether you need a certificate for court, compliance, or personal understanding, we’ll deliver a bilingual, well-reasoned, and professionally validated Certificate of Spanish Law, prepared by experts and adapted to your purpose.