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Barbancho Legal

Criminal Defense Lawyer in Palma de Mallorca

Led by María Barbancho, expert lawyer in international criminal law

Are you facing criminal charges? At Barbancho Legal, we understand that your freedom, your reputation, and your future are at stake. As criminal defense lawyers in Mallorca with more than 15 years of experience, we provide a strong, strategic, and human defense tailored to your specific needs.

If you have been arrested

What to do in the first hours after an arrest in Mallorca.

01.

Stay calm and do not give a statement without your lawyer

You have the right to remain silent and not to incriminate yourself. Whatever you say at the police station can be used in the proceedings, so wait until your lawyer is present before answering any question.

02.

Ask for a lawyer of your choice

You can appoint the lawyer you want instead of a court-appointed one, and meet them in private before and after giving a statement. Call us from the first moment: we handle criminal emergencies 24 hours a day.

03.

Know your rights

You must be told what you are accused of and why you have been detained. You are also entitled to a medical examination and to have your arrest notified to a relative or a person of your choice.

04.

Maximum of 72 hours

The police cannot hold you for more than 72 hours. Within that time you must be brought before the duty court, which decides whether you are released, released with precautionary measures or remanded in custody.

05.

If you are a foreigner or a tourist

You have the right to a free interpreter and to have your consulate informed. We work in Spanish, English and German and know the procedures for clients who do not live in Spain.

06.

Call us 24 hours a day

If you or a relative have been arrested in Mallorca, call +34 679 69 20 66. We act at the police station, at the duty court in Palma and across the island.

Criminal defence

The offences we defend in Mallorca.

If you or a family member has been detained, the most important thing is not what happens tomorrow in court, but what is said—or not said—in the next few hours. Detention is the most vulnerable moment in the entire criminal process, and something decisive depends on it: whether you will be released or remanded in pre-trial detention.

Criminal defense for individuals and businesses, in Spain and internationally. Each case is handled personally, in Spanish, English, and German.

The crime against public health — commonly known as drug trafficking — is one of the most frequent causes of arrests in Spain, especially at airports, ports, and tourist areas. The difference between a severe conviction and a successful defense is often decided during the initial proceedings.

Injuries arising from a fight, a brawl in the nightlife scene, or an altercation in a tourist area are among the most common offences affecting both foreigners and Spanish nationals in Spain. What seems like a one-off incident can turn into criminal proceedings with requests for a prison sentence, especially where a dangerous instrument was used or several people were involved.

Offences against sexual freedom are among the most sensitive in the legal system, both because of the severity of the penalties and the reputational impact, which begins long before judgment. A rigorous, technical and discreet defence is essential from the first statement.

Driving after drinking, testing positive in a control, refusing a breathalyzer test, or driving at excessive speed can be an offense, not just a simple fine. For foreign drivers in Spain, the consequences also extend to their license and their country of origin.

A criminal case is not won solely at trial: it is decided in every action from the investigation phase onward. That is why we accompany you through all phases, with a dedicated attorney who does not pass the case to others and knows the file in detail.

In white-collar matters, accounting detail carries as much weight as legal argument. We defend companies and executives—with an international focus and in coordination with their trusted counsel—when an investigation affects their assets, their reputation, and their freedom.

Money laundering is one of the most prosecuted and procedurally complex economic crimes. It affects those who launder third-party funds as well as those who launder their own (self-laundering), and it is typically investigated alongside other offenses.

A tax offense or crime against the Public Treasury occurs when the fraud exceeds a certain threshold and there is an intention to defraud. The boundary between an administrative infraction and a criminal offense is technical and decisive, and it can often be influenced.

Corporate crimes almost always arise from a business conflict that escalates into criminal proceedings: one partner reporting another, a director accused of managing for personal gain, accounts being challenged. Separating legitimate commercial conflict from criminal liability is at the heart of the defense.

If you are asking yourself “how does extradition work?” or “can I be surrendered to another country?”, this page answers step by step. Extradition and the European arrest warrant—European Arrest Warrant, EAW—activate cooperation between States with very strict deadlines, and leave real room for defense for those who act in time. We explain the complete procedure, the grounds for opposition, the mistakes to avoid, and how we build the defense.

An Interpol Red Notice can turn every border, every airport, and every account opening into a risk. It is not a judicial order and does not require arrest, but its effects on freedom of movement, professional activity, and reputation are very real. We have specific expertise in Interpol abuse and are members of Lawyers Against Transnational Repression.

Sometimes the best defense is not to contest a surrender, but to ensure that the proceedings are conducted in the appropriate jurisdiction. The transfer of proceedings between States can completely change the client’s position: where they are tried, with what guarantees, and under which law.

A sentence, a seizure order, or a criminal judgment issued in another country can be enforced in Spain—and a Spanish judgment, abroad. This is a technical area of international judicial cooperation where what is at stake is very specific: the execution of the sentence, the fate of assets, or the transfer of the sentenced person to their country.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigates and prosecutes crimes affecting the financial interests of the European Union: fraud involving subsidies and European funds, serious cross-border VAT fraud, corruption, and money laundering linked to those funds. It is a supranational prosecutor’s office with delegated prosecutors in Spain, and facing it requires a defense that understands both Spanish procedure and European logic.

Inclusion on a European Union sanctions list freezes assets and blocks activity almost immediately, even before any legal process. Challenging it requires speed and knowledge of the procedure before the Union courts.

When an indication of wrongdoing arises—an internal channel report, an audit alert, an inspection—what the company does in the first few weeks determines its criminal exposure. A well-run internal investigation protects the organisation and its governing bodies; a poorly conducted one can make the problem worse.

Since the reform that introduced the criminal liability of legal entities, a company can be convicted for crimes committed within its organization. The best defense does not begin with a summons: it starts years earlier, with a criminal compliance program that prevents crime and demonstrates the organization’s diligence.

A criminal record continues to weigh heavily years after the sentence has been served: it appears on a certificate, blocks employment, complicates a visa application or a border crossing. The good news is that, once certain time limits have been met, the record can and must be expunged, often sooner than one might think.

When all domestic remedies in Spain have been exhausted and a violation of rights persists, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg may be the last opportunity to remedy it. Access is demanding and deadlines are unforgiving.

When a criminal proceeding has violated a fundamental right, the Amparo appeal before the Constitutional Court is the last internal instance — and the gateway that must be crossed before appealing to Strasbourg.

Why choose us

Why choose our criminal law firm in Mallorca?

01.

Exclusive specialization in Criminal Law and Compliance

We are exclusively dedicated to criminal defense and compliance, which allows us to offer a highly specialized and up-to-date service.

02.

Comprehensive defense in all phases of the criminal process

From the police investigation phase to the execution of the sentence, including ordinary and extraordinary appeals against unfavorable rulings.

03.

Experience in complex high-profile cases

Our loyalty is unique and exclusive to our clients. We provide our clients with all possible means, adapting to the circumstances of each individual. It is always beneficial to have a criminal lawyer on your side.

04.

Multidisciplinary team of criminal lawyers

We are exclusively dedicated to criminal defense, which allows us to offer a highly specialized and up-to-date service.

05.

Personalized attention and tailored legal strategy

06.

Available 24/7 for criminal emergencies

Managing Partner · Criminal Defense Lawyer

María Barbancho Saborit

Spanish · Catalan · German · English

María Barbancho is the founder and managing partner of Barbancho Legal. Her practice focuses on complex and high-profile litigation, economic crime, extraditions, European Arrest Warrants, Interpol matters, and cross-border investigations, regularly representing international clients, senior executives, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals.

María is distinguished not only by her knowledge of other languages, but also by her understanding of their legal traditions and common practices, especially in DACH countries and the United Kingdom. Her strong international education provides her with knowledge of different European jurisdictions and the customs of these countries, which is a distinctive mark in Spain.

Testimonials

What our clients say.

Our criminal law firm in Mallorca.

FAQs

What our clients ask first.

We defend at every stage of criminal proceedings: from assistance at the police station and the duty court to trial, appeals and enforcement of the sentence. We handle drug offences, injuries and assaults, sexual offences, road safety and drink-driving, white-collar crime, extradition and Interpol matters.

Stay calm, do not give a statement without a lawyer and ask for your lawyer to be called. The police can hold you for a maximum of 72 hours before you are brought before a judge. Call us on +34 679 69 20 66 and we will act from the very first moment.

Yes. We handle criminal emergencies 24 hours a day in Palma and across Mallorca, and can attend the police station or the duty court.

Our Mallorca office is at Av. Alejandro Rosselló 40, 8th floor, 07006 Palma. We act throughout Mallorca and the rest of Spain, with a second office in Barcelona (Av. Diagonal 612).

As soon as possible. If you have been arrested, summoned to give a statement as a suspect, have received a complaint or a court notice, or suspect that an investigation is open, speak to a lawyer before making any statement.

It depends on the stage of the proceedings, their complexity and whether the case goes to trial. Once we know your case, we tell you our fees before we start.

Yes. We act for tourists and foreign residents in Spanish, English and German. You have the right to an interpreter and to have your consulate informed, and we support you throughout the proceedings even if you return to your country.

News

In the media.

Environment

Spain Delays Implementation of Environmental Crimes Legislation

After a two-year deadline, this Thursday, May 21, marks the end of the period Member States of the European Union have to carry out the transposition of the new Environmental Criminal Directive to combat ecological crimes. A date Spain has reached without having done its homework.

Opinion

Private Corruption, Consultants, and Europe: What the Plus Ultra Case Has Not Revealed

When Judge Calama summoned Zapatero as an investigated party, the headlines spoke of corruption. Some to denounce it, others to deny it. What almost none explained is exactly what kind of corruption we are talking about. And in criminal law, that question is not rhetorical.

Opinion

Corruption, Consultants, and Europe: A Legal Perspective

The court order issued by Judge Calama alleges influence peddling, not corruption between private individuals, in the Plus Ultra case. These are distinct offenses. Furthermore, European Directive 2026/1021, published less than a month ago, has just redefined that exact boundary.

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