I have debts I cannot pay — where do I get free help?

Direct answer

Free, confidential help exists in every country and works better the earlier you go. Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio) (mjusticia.gob.es) is the debt-advice service for Spain: they look at everything you owe, stop the panic, negotiate with creditors and, if needed, start the legal debt-relief route. Your Colegio de Abogados — turno de oficio / justicia gratuita (abogacia.es) can refer you and may cover emergency costs. Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadana (010) is for the legal side — a bailiff at the door, a garnishment, a court letter. Do not take a "consolidation loan" from an advert; that is how debts grow.

Call firstServicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio)

Report toColegio de Abogados — turno de oficio / justicia gratuita

If that failsAyuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadana

🗣️ What to say

"I have debts of about [total] to [number] creditors and I can no longer keep up. I would like a first appointment to go through my income, my debts and my options — including a payment plan or debt relief."

🪜 Step by step

Make the listEvery creditor, amount, and what is already in collection. Bring the letters, even unopened.
Book with Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio)Free, non-judgmental. They can write to creditors on your behalf and freeze interest in many cases.
Protect the essentialsRent, energy and food first. Contact those creditors before anyone else; they have hardship procedures.
Payment plan or reliefA plan you can keep beats a plan that looks good. If the debts are hopeless, the legal debt-relief scheme wipes them after a set period.
Court letters: Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadanaA court letter has a deadline. Never ignore it — respond or bring it straight to your adviser.

📇 All contacts

Servicios sociales / Ley de Segunda Oportunidad (abogado de oficio)Guidance, creditor mediation, debt dischargeWhen debts become unmanageable🔗 www.mjusticia.gob.es

Colegio de Abogados — turno de oficio / justicia gratuitaFree lawyer below the income thresholdWhen you cannot afford a lawyer🔗 www.abogacia.es/servicios-abogacia/justicia-gratuita

Ayuntamiento — Policía local / atención ciudadanaNuisances, roads, waste, registry, lost propertyFor anything the municipality handles📞 010 🔗 www.femp.es

Juzgado de Primera Instancia — juicio verbalNo lawyer needed up to €2,000Last step, with the contract and inventories🔗 www.administraciondejusticia.gob.es

❓ Frequently asked

Will my employer or family find out?

Not from the adviser. A garnishment of wages does reach the employer, which is one reason to act before it gets there.

Can I keep my home?

Usually, if you keep paying rent or the mortgage. Say so to the adviser first thing — housing is protected in every plan.

Is the legal debt relief really free of debts at the end?

Yes, apart from a few exceptions such as fines and maintenance. It takes discipline for a few years and a clean start after.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

“free debt advice Spain”
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💸 I have debts I cannot pay — where do I get free help?