Lawyer for Urgent Criminal Proceedings in Madrid
An arrest in Madrid is won or lost in the first few hours. What you say tonight at the police station can decide the entire case: don’t speak to the police without your criminal defense lawyer by your side.
Urgent criminal defense lawyer in Madrid available 24 hours
If you have been arrested in Madrid or have received a summons to give a statement at the duty court, what is decided in the next few hours will shape the entire case. A poor first statement at the police station can affect the whole criminal proceedings, and to protect your rights you need an urgent criminal defense lawyer in Madrid from the very first moment.
At Cervantes & García-Escribano we answer the phone ourselves — the lawyers who will handle your case and criminal law specialists: we go to the police station, we prepare your statement, the precautionary measures and, if appropriate, a plea agreement. Urgent 24-hour criminal assistance, 365 days a year.
Urgent criminal proceedings we handle in Madrid
These are the three fronts on which we act immediately in any of the urgent criminal proceedings we handle in Madrid:
At the police station, before the Police or the Civil Guard, and at the duty court.
Your lawyer for drink-driving, injuries, theft, driving without a licence, gender-based violence, domestic violence and offences against public health.
Technical defense from the police checkpoint onwards, not only at trial.
24-hour assistance for arrests, summonses and urgent admissions
Tel. 681 256 507 · [email protected]
24-hour legal assistance to detainees at the police station in Madrid
When you call, a senior lawyer takes charge of your case immediately. Our assistance at the police station always follows the same step-by-step protocol:
We answer your call.
We identify the police station, the reason for the arrest and start preparing the strategy before heading there.
We give you initial guidance.
You have the right to remain silent and not to sign anything until you have spoken privately with your lawyer (art. 520 LECrim). What is signed without legal assistance weighs on the entire proceedings.
We go to the police station in person.
A senior lawyer travels to the police station, whether in Madrid city or the Henares Corridor.
We speak with you privately.
In the private interview, before any procedure takes place, we decide together what to state and what to withhold.
We assist you during your statements
Before the Police and at the duty court, and we propose alternatives to pre-trial detention: bail, regular check-ins or a no-contact order.
This urgent legal assistance (during statements at the police station, the duty court and any police facility) is the difference between arriving prepared or improvising at the worst possible moment.
Fast-track trial lawyer in Madrid
The fast-track trial (juicio rápido) is used for offences carrying a sentence of up to five years: drink-driving, minor injuries, theft or driving without a licence. The whole process is designed to be resolved in a single appearance before the duty court, and the deadlines work against you:
Time limits work against the person under investigation:
- Urgent proceedings before the duty court within 72 hours.
- Option to accept a plea agreement (conformidad) with a one-third sentence reduction at that same hearing (art. 801 LECrim).
- If no plea agreement is reached, trial before the Criminal Court within a few weeks.
Accepting a plea agreement can be your best decision or your worst mistake, depending on the case. We study the police report and tell you clearly what you gain and what you lose before you sign anything. And if a plea agreement is not in your best interest, we defend you at every stage of the criminal proceedings, including appeals before the Provincial Court of Madrid and appeals in cassation.
Defence at the pre-trial detention hearing
After the first 72 hours, the duty court decides at a single hearing whether you are remanded in custody, released with precautionary measures, or set free (art. 505 LECrim). There is no immediate second chance.
The judge weighs three risks: that you might flee, tamper with evidence, or reoffend. To counter this, we prepare:
- Evidence of your ties to the community: work, home and family in Madrid.
- Alternatives to pre-trial detention: bail tailored to your situation, periodic court appearances, or surrender of your passport.
The file that reaches that hearing is built in the preceding 72 hours. That is why having a lawyer from the very first proceedings changes everything.
Habeas corpus for unlawful detention in Madrid
If a detention exceeds the legal time limits or is carried out without respecting your rights (without legal assistance, with irregular incommunicado detention, or ill-treatment), we file a habeas corpus application before the duty court. It is resolved within hours and, if successful, you are placed under judicial supervision immediately. This is not a theoretical procedure: it is the tool that puts you back under the judge’s control.
24-hour assistance for arrests, summonses and urgent detentions
Tel. 681 256 507 · [email protected]
Drink-driving and road safety lawyer in Madrid
Offences against road safety (arts. 379 to 385 of the Criminal Code) make up the bulk of fast-track trials in Madrid. A genuine defence begins at the police checkpoint, before the report reaches the court. There, we review:
- Whether the double measurement and the timing between tests were carried out correctly.
- Whether the breathalyser was certified and properly calibrated.
- The possibility of requesting a blood test for comparison.
- The correct legal classification of the offence: drink-driving, reckless driving, or punishable speeding.
Urgent criminal defence assistance throughout the Community of Madrid
We attend in person at:
- Madrid city: district police stations and the Plaza de Castilla courts.
- Henares Corridor: Alcalá de Henares, Coslada, Torrejón de Ardoz, Arganda, Rivas and San Fernando.
- South: Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Leganés, Parla, Pinto and Aranjuez.
- North and West: Pozuelo, Majadahonda, Las Rozas, Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes.
- Barajas Airport: arrests involving Interpol, drug trafficking, smuggling or a European Arrest Warrant.
- The National Court: Central Investigating Courts.
For arrests outside Madrid, we coordinate with a locally based lawyer and take over the direction of your case as soon as you are brought before the court.
A criminal defense lawyer of your choice, not a duty lawyer
The duty lawyer system provides an important safeguard, but when the charge is serious, choosing your own criminal defense lawyer makes a difference:
- The same lawyer from start to finish: from the police station to trial or appeal, with no change of counsel.
- Knows your case from the very first minute: ties to the community, family situation and assets already reviewed.
- Genuine dedication: we only take on the cases we can handle as they deserve.
You can change lawyer at any point in the proceedings (art. 33 LECrim). If a duty lawyer assisted you at the police station and you want to switch to a lawyer of your choice for the investigation or trial, we can step in at any stage.
Our criminal defense lawyers design your defense strategy from the outset and, when the case requires it, we also act as private prosecution.
How the firm handles an urgent criminal case
This is how we handle an urgent criminal case, from the moment you pick up the phone to the hearing:
First contact
A partner attends to you and we assess the urgency.
Case analysis
We study the police report, the charges and your procedural situation.
Strategy and preparation
We decide on your statement, precautionary measures and any plea agreement.
Defense in court
We represent you at the hearing and, if necessary, file an appeal.
Frequently asked questions about arrests and fast-track trials in Madrid
Am I going to be in prison tonight?
It isn’t automatic. After the arrest, the judge decides at the article 505 hearing whether there will be pre-trial detention, release with conditions, or release. Preparing evidence of your ties to the community and proposing alternatives from the outset is what tips that decision.
How long is all this going to take?
If it’s a fast-track trial, it can be resolved at the same duty hearing, within a few days. If the case is more complex, we explain the realistic timeframes from the start, with no false promises.
Will my family or my employer find out?
You have the right to have your arrest reported to a family member, and everything you discuss with us is confidential. We do not inform your employer.
Can I lose my licence even if there hasn't been a trial yet?
In road safety offences, the precautionary withdrawal of your licence can be requested. We check whether this applies and challenge it whenever there is room to do so.
Is it better to make a statement or remain silent?
It depends on what the police report says and on your situation. That’s why a private consultation beforehand is essential: we decide together before you make any statement, never improvising under pressure.
Visit our law firm in Madrid
Estudio Jurídico Cervantes & Gª-Escribano
Book an initial consultation or call the firm directly. We handle in-person consultations at Goya 20, as well as by phone and video call, always with the confidentiality inherent to professional practice.
- Calle Goya 20, 1.º Izquierda · 28001 Madrid
- 681 256 507 · 24 hours, every day
- [email protected]
- Monday to Friday · 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (24/7 assistance for detainees)
Call a lawyer for urgent proceedings in Madrid
In criminal law, every hour counts. The sooner you call us, the better we can defend you. We answer the phone ourselves, not a sales representative: at Cervantes & García-Escribano we are the urgent criminal defense lawyers in Madrid who handle your case from start to finish, throughout the Community of Madrid.
At our firm, our team of lawyers takes on your urgent defense from the very first call and stands by you throughout the entire criminal proceedings. If you need immediate criminal defense in an urgent criminal matter (an arrest, a summons or a fast-track trial), don’t wait: the immediate attention of a criminal defense lawyer in Madrid can change the outcome. Rely on a criminal law firm in Madrid available for your immediate assistance 24 hours a day
