Family and divorce solicitors in Barcelona
At Ajuridic we handle divorce and separation, by agreement and contested, convenios reguladores, parenting plans, child arrangements, maintenance and applications to vary orders, with the Codi civil de Catalunya as the framework. The firm is in El Clot and advises clients throughout Barcelona and the surrounding area.
Carrer del Freser, 104 · El Clot (Sant Martí), Barcelona · We advise in Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic (Arabic by prior appointment).
Arranging the future, not just closing the past
A separation is handled badly when it is treated as an argument about who is right. What is being decided is how life will work from next month on: who picks the children up, who pays for what and what happens to the home. At Ajuridic the work starts by turning the conflict into a list of concrete questions.
Catalonia has a framework of its own: the Codi civil de Catalunya governs the effects of separation — the parenting plan, child arrangements, maintenance, occupation of the home — and sets separation of property as the financial regime where nothing else was agreed. It changes what has to be negotiated and what has to be evidenced.
The principal, Noemí Ampurdanés Parés, a solicitor registered with the ICAB under no. 22359, has over thirty years in practice; you can see the personal profile of the firm's principal at noemiampurdanes.com. Where necessary, the firm draws on its network of notaries, procuradores (court agents) and specialist solicitors.
What the firm deals with
From the first negotiation through to enforcement of the judgment, if it has to go that far.
Divorce and separation
Proceedings by agreement and contested proceedings, interim orders where the situation cannot wait, and annulment of marriage.
The agreement and the parenting plan
Drafting and negotiating the convenio regulador and the parenting plan required by the Codi civil de Catalunya, in enough detail that you do not have to come back.
Child arrangements and contact
Parental responsibility, how time with each parent is divided, holidays and contact with grandparents and other close relatives.
Maintenance and family finances
Child maintenance and extraordinary expenses, occupation of the family home, the compensatory allowance and financial compensation for work done for the family.
Variation and enforcement
Varying orders when circumstances change and enforcement where maintenance goes unpaid or the agreed arrangements are not complied with.
Stable partnerships and parentage
Breakdown of cohabiting relationships under the Codi civil de Catalunya, the financial effects between cohabitants and parentage matters.
How we work, step by step
The order matters, and in family law more than in any other area.
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First consultation and assessment
We go through the whole situation: marriage or partnership, children and their ages, income and outgoings, home and debts. From that comes a realistic assessment.
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Choosing the route: agreement or contested
Divorce by agreement is usually quicker and less draining, especially where there are children, but it is not always possible. We say frankly how much real room for negotiation there is.
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Drafting the agreement and the parenting plan
Most of the outcome is decided here: an ambiguous agreement creates a fresh dispute every month. We go into the detail of handovers, holidays, extraordinary expenses and decisions on health and schooling.
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Filing, confirmation before the court and judgment
We prepare the application and act for you before the court concerned. Where there are minor children, the Public Prosecutor takes part before the arrangements are approved.
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After the judgment
It is not a full stop: children grow up and income changes. We deal with any outstanding division of assets, with enforcement and with applications to vary orders.
Which papers are usually needed
Every family matter rests on two blocks: the relationship and the figures.
Relationship and family situation
- DNI or NIE (identity documents) for both parties and for the children, if they have one.
- Full marriage certificate and family book or birth certificates.
- Marriage settlement or stable partnership registration document, if any.
- Empadronamiento (municipal register) certificate and any earlier court orders affecting the family.
Financial position
- Payslips, employment history and the latest tax returns for both parties.
- Title deeds or tenancy agreement for the home and mortgage payment records.
- Receipts for the children's expenses: school, school meals, activities, health.
- A list of assets, accounts, vehicles and debts, showing who owns them.
This list is only a guide
The documents required change according to whether there are minor children, according to the financial regime that applies and according to what is in dispute. The final list is settled after the case has been reviewed.
What it helps to be clear about before you start
In Catalonia the default regime is separation of property
If the marriage is governed by Catalan civil law and no marriage settlement was made, each spouse keeps ownership of their own property. Many negotiations start off on the wrong foot by assuming a community of property that does not exist.
Divorce does not require any ground to be alleged or any fault to be proved: the wish of one of the spouses is enough. Where there is agreement and there are no minor children or children whose capacity has been modified by a court, it can be formalised before a notary or before the court clerk; where there are minor children, it has to go through the courts.
Which law applies to what
Spanish national legislation and Catalan legislation exist side by side, and telling them apart avoids misunderstandings:
| Question | Governing legislation |
|---|---|
| Dissolution of marriage: separation, divorce and annulment | Código Civil (the Spanish Civil Code) |
| Effects of separation: parenting plan, child arrangements, maintenance and the family home | Codi civil de Catalunya, llibre segon (Civil Code of Catalonia, Book Two) |
| Default matrimonial property regime | Separation of property (Codi civil de Catalunya) |
| Stable partnerships and their effects when cohabitation ends | Codi civil de Catalunya, llibre segon (Civil Code of Catalonia, Book Two) |
The time limits are short and start to run from notification, with nobody sending a reminder: they depend on the type of decision and on the date it was received, so it is worth checking them straight away. These matters are dealt with by the civil courts in Barcelona, now reorganised by Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (Spanish Organic Act 1/2025) into Tribunales de Instancia.
This page is for information only and is no substitute for advice on a particular case. No step can guarantee a result.
Questions that reach the firm every week
How long does a divorce take in Barcelona?
It depends above all on whether there is agreement: a divorce by agreement moves much faster than a contested one, which requires a claim, a defence, a hearing and sometimes an expert report. No serious firm can give a fixed date.
What is the parenting plan and why am I being asked for one?
It is the document, provided for in the Codi civil de Catalunya, in which the parents set out how they will exercise their responsibilities after the separation: who the children live with, how time and holidays are divided, who deals with school and health matters. Where there are minor children it has to be filed, whether or not there is agreement.
In Catalonia, is matrimonial property jointly owned?
As a general rule, no: the default regime under Catalan civil law is separation of property, unless there is a marriage settlement. Even so, there are accounts to settle: dividing what is jointly owned, settling shared debts such as the mortgage and assessing arrangements particular to the Codi civil de Catalunya, such as financial compensation for work done for the family or the compensatory allowance.
Can the child arrangements or the maintenance be changed after judgment?
Yes, by applying to vary the orders, but being unhappy is not enough: a substantial and lasting change of circumstances has to be evidenced. Non-compliance is another matter: if the maintenance is not paid, the answer is not to vary the judgment but to enforce it.
We were not married. Does that change anything if we separate?
As far as the children are concerned, no: child arrangements, the parenting plan and maintenance are decided on the same criteria. What changes is the effect as between the adults, depending on whether or not the relationship falls within the stable partnership provisions of the Codi civil de Catalunya.
Related practice areas and blog guides
Wills, probate and inheritance
Widowhood and forced heirship: marital status and the property regime determine what each heir is entitled to.
Go to the practice areaImmigration law
Family reunification and arraigo familiar: a good part of these applications depends on a properly evidenced family relationship.
Go to the practice areaRoad traffic accidents
When a relative dies or is seriously injured, the family relationship decides who can claim compensation.
Go to the practice areaBlog guides
- Wills, probate and inheritance in Barcelona: the legítima (the forced share), the surviving spouse's life interest and the Impuesto de Sucesiones (Spanish inheritance tax) in Catalonia.
- Buying and selling property in Barcelona: deposits, the notary, taxes and costs, when the separation ends in the home being sold.
- Civil contracts and claims in Barcelona: how a claim for a sum of money is put together — the ground on which joint debts are fought.
Come with your papers already checked
The document list for a family matter and the time limit checker, free and with no sign-up.
Document checklist
The papers for a family matter, tickable and printable, so you can bring them already checked to the first consultation.
Open the checklistTime limit checker
Eleven time limits covering fines, employment, damage claims and inheritance. Enter the start date and it shows the deadline for acting and how many days are left.
Check a time limitTell us about your family situation
Bring what you have to hand, even if it is incomplete: the family book, the latest tax return and any earlier court order. With those we can get a fairly good idea of which route makes sense. We are at Carrer del Freser, 104, El Clot, near Camp de l'Arpa, La Sagrera and Navas.