Court Preparation Tool

Procedure guides

Filing a juicio verbal claim in Spain: the format a court office expects

Formal requirements for a small civil claim in Spain: caption, numbered facts, index of documents and how many copies to lodge.

Spain

How it works

  1. Draft the caption: the court and judicial district, the identification details of the parties and the request.
  2. Set the page: A4 paper, 2.5 cm margins on all four sides, Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing.
  3. Number the facts consecutively from 1, one fact per paragraph, in date order.
  4. Sign by hand at the end, print your name beneath the signature and add the index of numbered documents.
  5. Prepare one copy per defendant and check whether the amount lets you proceed without an abogado or procurador (up to 2000 EUR).

Next

Do I need an abogado for a juicio verbal?

Not in every case: where the amount does not exceed 2000 EUR the involvement of an abogado and procurador is not compulsory (LEC arts. 23.2 and 31.2). This guide does not assess your case.

Which language should the claim be written in?

Castilian is always accepted. Catalan, Basque and Galician are valid without translation within their autonomous community, but must be translated into Castilian if the proceeding has effects outside it or a party states that they do not understand the language (LOPJ art. 231.4).

How many copies must be filed?

The original for the court and one copy for each defendant, plus the numbered documents with their index.

Format requirements for this court

Filings are made on A4 paper, 210 by 297 mm. Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 399 (contenido y forma de la demanda)
Margins of 2.5 cm are left on all four sides of the page. Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 399 (contenido y forma de la demanda)
Facts are numbered consecutively from 1. Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 399 (contenido y forma de la demanda)
The claim must be signed by the party filing it. Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 399 (contenido y forma de la demanda)
Castilian is accepted throughout the territory; co-official languages are valid without translation inside their community and are translated when the proceeding has effects outside it (LOPJ art. 231.4). LOPJ, Ley Orgánica 6/1985, art. 231 y art. 231.4 (lengua oficial propia de las Comunidades Autónomas y traducción)
File the original for the court and one copy for each defendant. Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 437 (contenido de la demanda en el juicio verbal y documentos que la acompañan)
The juicio verbal covers up to 15000 EUR (LEC art. 250.2), and an abogado and procurador are not compulsory up to 2000 EUR (LEC arts. 23.2 and 31.2). Ley 1/2000, de Enjuiciamiento Civil, art. 250.2 (juicio verbal por razón de la cuantía, hasta 15000 EUR)

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.