24h Criminal Emergencies · Alicante · Madrid · Throughout Spain
24-hour criminal lawyer in Spain: English-speaking assistance at police stations and duty courts in Alicante, Madrid and the Costa Blanca, every day of the year.
Offices in Alicante and Madrid · Fixed written quote after the first consultation · English, French and Spanish.
We do not merely argue cases here: we control consequences.
Police arrest, statements at the police station, habeas corpus and remand hearings. The first 72 hours define the entire proceedings: a specialist lawyer from the first minute changes the outcome. Direct line: 669 30 21 13.
In brief. Arrested in Spain? English-speaking criminal lawyers, 24/7 police station and court assistance in Alicante, Madrid and Costa Blanca. Call +34 669 30 21 13.
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Why it is different
Assistance to a detainee has one golden rule: nothing is improvised at the police station. The detainee has the right to a private consultation with their lawyer beforehand, to be informed of the alleged facts, and to remain silent or to give a statement only before the judge. Making proper use of those rights —deciding whether to speak, what to say and when— requires knowledge of the police report, of the strength of the evidence and of the strategy that follows. A rushed statement is the most expensive mistake in criminal proceedings. That is why we handle emergencies 24/7 with specialist criminal lawyers: from the first call we prepare the private consultation, the statement and, where appropriate, the remand hearing.
What we defend
Immediate intervention in every critical situation arising in the first hours of the proceedings.
Attendance at the police interview, prior private consultation and scrutiny of the lawfulness of the arrest and of the investigative steps.
Deciding whether to speak, to remain silent or to give a statement only before the judge: the most important tactical decision of the first hours.
Detention may not last more than 72 hours: monitoring of the time limit, of any extensions and of the conditions of detention.
Urgent procedure against unlawful detention or detention exceeding the limits: judicial ruling within 24 hours.
The hearing that decides between release and pre-trial detention: express preparation of community ties, bail and alternative measures.
Applications for review and appeals against the remand order, and periodic review of the measure with fresh material.
Specific regime under Organic Law 5/2000: immediate assistance, presence of legal representatives and the Juvenile Prosecution Service.
Interpreter, consular assistance and monitoring of removal proceedings linked to the criminal case.
European Arrest Warrant and extradition: strict deadlines and specialist defence before the Audiencia Nacional.
Sentencing framework
Indicative outline of the sequence of an arrest. Each stage has its own critical decisions.
| Stage | Deadline | Key decision | Risk if handled badly |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArrestHour 0 | Immediate | Call a lawyer you trust | Giving a statement without specialist assistance |
| Private consultation | Before giving a statement | Understand the allegations and set the strategy | Improvised accounts |
| Police statement | At the police station | Speak or remain silent | Settling on an account without sight of the police report |
| Brought before a judge | Max. 72 h | Statement before the judge | Contradictions with what was said earlier |
| Article 505 hearing | After giving a statement | Release, bail or remand | Avoidable pre-trial detention |
| Appeals against remand | 3 – 5 days | Review and appeal | Entrenching the measure through inaction |
| Habeas corpus | 24 h | Unlawful detention or overrun of the time limit | Failing to activate it in time |
| Legal persons | 31 bis | Fine · suspension · dissolution | Absence of a compliance programme |
Indicative sentencing frameworks under the Spanish Criminal Code in force. They do not constitute legal advice; the legal classification and the sentence require an individual analysis of the proceedings.
What sets us apart
Even in an emergency, the difference is methodological: immediate analysis of the police report, of the evidence and of the detainee’s personal circumstances before every decision. That is why we apply LIWARD —Legal Intelligence Warfare for Defense—, our own methodology, which brings legal intelligence, case-law analytics, financial and accounting analysis and e-forensics together into a single litigation strategy. It is what sets us apart from conventional criminal defence.
Mapping of the proceedings, case-law analysis and early detection of evidential weaknesses.
Reconstruction of financial flows and expert examination of the documentation that sustains —or dismantles— the prosecution case.
Chain of custody, admissibility of electronic evidence and traceability of crypto-assets with forensic rigour.
Precise decisions at every stage, from the first police interview to the appeal to the Supreme Court, grounded in risk analysis.
How we work
Immediate 24/7 assistance, preparation of the statement and control of precautionary measures from the very first step.
Examination of the case file, financial and digital expert analysis, and identification of the theory of the case.
Design of the defence or prosecution case, submission of evidence and marshalling of expert evidence.
Defence at trial and, where appropriate, appeals to the Provincial Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
Who we represent
Companies with directors or employees under arrest: crisis management, legal coordination and reputational containment.
Executives and professionals: absolute discretion, immediate intervention and planning of the next 72 hours.
Detainees: private consultation, statement strategy and preparation for the remand hearing.
Family members: accurate information from the first contact, locating the detainee and immediate activation of the defence.
Certain situations call for immediate legal assistance: an arrest, a police station summons, a search of a home or business, or a citation to appear before an investigating court. In all of them, what happens in the first hours can shape the entire case.
The single most important step is to secure a lawyer before making any statement, because the right to remain silent and not to incriminate oneself is only useful if it is exercised with advice.
Police detention in Spain may last no longer than strictly necessary and, in any event, no more than seventy-two hours, after which the person must be released or brought before a judge. During that time the detainee has the right to be informed of the accusation, to a lawyer, to a free interpreter and to notify a relative and, for foreign nationals, the consulate.
We use those hours to verify that the detention and its conditions are lawful, to prepare the appearance before the judge and, where appropriate, to argue for release rather than a precautionary measure.
Criminal emergencies do not keep office hours. We attend police stations and courts urgently, including at night and at weekends, so that a client is never left to face questioning or a first hearing without a defence in place.
For families abroad, we act as the point of contact on the ground, keeping them informed and coordinating with lawyers in the client’s home country where that is helpful.
If you are able to, note the exact time and place of the arrest or search, keep any document handed over by the authorities, and do not sign anything you do not fully understand. Above all, do not make a statement on the facts until you have spoken to your lawyer.
These simple steps preserve the options that a well-prepared defence depends on, and they cost nothing but presence of mind in a difficult moment.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Société de Conseil Juridique et Expert
An early conversation can change the course of the whole case. Let us talk before the proceedings decide for you.
Société de Conseil Juridique et Expert is a law firm with offices in Madrid, Alicante, London and Paris, specialising in criminal law, technology law and economic and corporate crime. We provide strategic guidance in complex criminal proceedings, intellectual property and technological resources for legal decision-making with advanced forensic analysis. Our multidisciplinary team combines legal experience, legal intelligence and personal attention to deliver effective solutions adapted to each case. Legal assistance available 24 hours a day and online consultations.
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