Maria Serra

Disinheritance: I Have Been Excluded From the Estate

Imagine receiving the news that you have been disinherited by your parents. It is an emotional blow that raises many questions: Is this even legal? Can a parent really leave a…

Inheriting Debt: What to Do When Liabilities Exceed Assets

When faced with an estate with debts, it is natural to ask: "Do I also inherit the deceased's debts?" or "What happens if the estate's debts exceed its assets?" This scenario,…

Complicated Inheritances in Catalonia: Resolving Disputes Between Heirs

Family inheritance disputes can break even the strongest bonds. Are you worried that dividing an estate could end in a falling-out between siblings? You are not alone: conflicts…

Contested Divorce

Even a complex divorce can reach a far smoother resolution when the right methodology is applied and intensive work is carried out with both parties. This is precisely our…

Mutual Consent Divorce in Catalonia: A Practical Guide to a Swift, Amicable Split

If you live in Catalonia and are considering a divorce by mutual consent, read on: we will cover the legal requirements, the documents you will need, the steps to follow before…

Mandatory Pre-Trial Mediation

Article written by our mediator and collaborative lawyer Maria Serra Muñoz:

How to Request Euthanasia in Spain

Organic Law 3/2021, in force since 25 June 2021, marks a significant milestone in the regulation of euthanasia in Spain. We set out the legal implications of this legislation, its…

Intestate Succession: Inheritance Without a Will

Intestate succession opens when a person dies without having appointed an heir in a will or inheritance agreement, or when the appointed heir or heirs do not ultimately inherit,…

Void or Ineffective Wills

Discover everything you need to know about wills under the Catalan Civil Code, from their definition to the various forms they can take and the legal conditions that apply. This…

Divorce Without Going to Court

MEDIATION AS AN OUT-OF-COURT DISPUTE RESOLUTION METHOD: Family mediation is a voluntary process that seeks to resolve disputes arising within a family or couple outside of…

Types of Will

What is a will? A will is a unilateral and strictly personal legal act, which is essentially revocable, by which a person regulates the succession of their estate after death,…

Changing Your Will

Can a will be changed? Maria Serra explains the different ways to make amendments to a will...

Surrogacy in Spain

Under Spanish law, it is not possible to establish legal parentage through surrogacy. Article 10 of the Assisted Reproduction Act declares null and void any agreement or…

Why Making a Will Matters

Inheritance lawyers in Barcelona, Spain

THE OPENING OF AN ESTATE HOW IS INHERITANCE PROCESSED? The acquisition of an inheritance does not happen automatically when a person dies, but rather a series of procedures must…

The Family Home in Divorce

Alongside child custody and maintenance, the family home is typically one of the most contentious issues in negotiating a separation or divorce settlement agreement, and one that…

Who Gets Custody of Pets After a Divorce?

The new legislation on animal rights

Law 9/2020: Mandatory Mediation and Prior Information Session in Family Proceedings

Important developments in the field of Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, following the entry into force of Law 9/2020, of 31 July 2020, which makes the prior…

Dissolution of the Joint Ownership of the Family Home in a Divorce

How to divide assets in a divorce: In separation, annulment or divorce proceedings, spouses may divide jointly held property with respect to any assets they hold under ordinary…

Child Support in a Divorce

WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS: Maintenance is understood to cover everything essential for:

Compensatory Allowance in Divorce

It is a reality that every separation or divorce leads to increased expenses for both parties. Not only do you now have two separate households, but all costs that were previously…

How to Get Divorced: Key Considerations

What you need to know about getting a divorce Deciding to divorce is often part of a complex and emotionally challenging process. The need to reimagine your life after…

Recommendations on Child Contact and Custody Arrangements During the State of Emergency

1rc. aMcatua Written by Maria Serra Lawyer and mediator Learn more

New Criteria from Barcelona's Family Courts Overturning Previous Rulings

On 24 March 2020, the Family Law Judges of Barcelona adopted the following RESOLUTIONS and issued the following CONSIDERATIONS for the period from 24 March 2020 until the end of…

Child Handovers During Separation and Divorce

Given the volume of enquiries we are receiving in response to the extraordinary and irregular situation brought about by the coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown measures decreed…

Lockdown and the Exercise of Child Custody

Can lockdown restrictions limit the ability of parents to alternate custody periods with their respective children?

Mediation Specialists

Declaration of prodigality in Spain: why it no longer exists and what applies now

If you have arrived here looking for how to have someone declared a spendthrift under Spanish law, the short answer is that you no longer can. Prodigalidad ceased to exist as a…

Executor

In this podcast, we speak with María Serra about what can be done to minimise potential inheritance disputes.

Mediator Barcelona

Our specialist Maria Serra (lawyer and mediator in Barcelona) explains how mediation works and what its main techniques are.