Administrative & regulatory

Public law lawyer

If you have been fined, denied a licence, faced administrative inaction, or suffered harm you should not have to bear, we help you challenge decisions and file claims with a clear legal strategy.

When the problem comes from the Administration, many people feel the same: like they are fighting against a wall. A fine, a refusal, a blocked licence, a poorly handled procedure, prolonged silence, or damage that no one takes responsibility for.

But there is an important point here: the Administration is also bound by rules. And when those rules are not respected, it is possible to appeal, challenge, or claim. Law 39/2015 strengthens the guarantees of interested parties against administrative self-enforcement, and the Administrative Jurisdiction Act (LJCA) exists precisely to subject administrative action to judicial review, including inaction and de facto administrative conduct.

At ASO Corporate, we help you structure the problem, assess the real deadlines, and choose the right legal route. We work from Barberà del Vallès by appointment and also offer online services to clients throughout the province of Barcelona.

If the Administration fines you, rejects your request, or does not respond, you can still take action

Not every administrative decision is correctly issued just because it comes on official letterhead. Law 39/2015 requires proper reasoning, with reference to facts and legal grounds, for acts that limit rights or legitimate interests, for administrative appeals, for sanctions, and also for liability proceedings. In addition, the decision must indicate the available remedies, the competent authority, and the applicable deadlines.

In plain terms: if you have been fined, denied something important, or received an administrative decision that is poorly reasoned, it is necessary to review not only the substance, but also the form, reasoning, and procedure.

I want to appeal a fine or refusal

Administrative resources: appeal, reconsideration and review

Law 39/2015 sets out the main administrative review mechanisms: alzada (appeal to a higher authority), reposición (optional reconsideration), and review of acts (revisión de oficio), as well as the extraordinary appeal for review.
When an administrative act does not bring the administrative process to an end, an alzada appeal may be filed before the higher hierarchical body. The general deadline is one month if the act is express, and if it is not, it may be filed at any time from the moment of administrative silence; the Administration has three months to decide.

When the act does end the administrative process, an optional reconsideration appeal (reposición) may be filed before the same body, or you may go directly to the administrative courts. The general deadline for reposición is one month if the act is express. In addition, if you file reposición, you cannot go to court until it is expressly resolved or deemed rejected by silence.

In cases of serious nullity, the Administration may review void acts ex officio at any time, subject to a favourable opinion from the Council of State or equivalent advisory body, when one of the grounds in Article 47 of the LPAC applies. These include acts issued by a manifestly incompetent authority, acts issued with total and absolute disregard of the legally established procedure, or acts that violate fundamental rights.

I want to review which appeal applies to my case

Public liability: when the Administration causes you harm

This is one of the strongest areas in this section.
Law 40/2015 establishes that individuals are entitled to be compensated by public administrations for any harm suffered to their assets or rights as a result of the normal or abnormal functioning of public services, except in cases of force majeure or damages that there is a legal duty to bear.
Law 39/2015 also sets out how the claim must be initiated: the application must specify the damage suffered, the causal link with the public service, the financial valuation if possible, and the time when the damage occurred. The right to claim generally expires after one year from the event or from when the harmful effects become apparent; in cases of physical or psychological injury, the period runs from recovery or from the point at which the extent of the after-effects is determined. In addition, if no express decision is issued within six months, the claim may be deemed rejected.
This applies to cases such as:

falls in public spaces or public facilities
poor road conditions or lack of maintenance
damage during public events or festivals
irregular functioning of public services

administrative decisions that have been annulled and have caused harm, in legally recognised cases

I want to claim compensation from the Administration

Sanctions, licences, urban planning and acts that limit your rights

In administrative law, disputes often arise from a decision that directly affects you: a sanction, a fine, a licence refusal, an enforcement order, an urban planning resolution, a loss of rights, or a dismissal of your application.
There are two key ideas here. First: any act that limits rights or legitimate interests must be reasoned. Second: if the act breaches the legal system, it may be voidable; and if one of the grounds in Article 47 of the LPAC applies, it may even be null and void.
That is why, in sanctions and licences, it is not enough to simply see whether you agree with the outcome. You must review:

competence of the issuing authority
procedure followed
reasoning and justification
evidence
deadlines
right to be heard
and legal basis of the decision

I want to review a sanction, licence, or urban planning file

Administrative inaction and de facto conduct

The Administration can also harm you either by failing to act or by acting without sufficient legal basis.
The Administrative Jurisdiction Act (LJCA) allows you to challenge administrative inaction when the Administration fails to comply with obligations it is legally required to fulfil, as well as de facto conduct, meaning material administrative actions carried out outside the legal requirements. In cases of de facto conduct, it is even possible to issue a formal request to cease the action and, if it is not addressed, bring the matter before the administrative courts. In addition, judicial review proceedings can also seek the restoration of an individual legal situation and, where appropriate, compensation for damages.
This is particularly useful when the problem is not a formal decision, but a blockage, administrative passivity, or an ongoing material action that is already causing harm.

I want to review whether there is administrative inaction or de facto conduct

How we handle your administrative case

1. We assess the real deadline
In administrative law, being late changes everything. As a general rule, the contentious-administrative appeal must be filed within two months against express acts that end the administrative process, and within six months against presumed acts. If you come from a reconsideration appeal, the judicial deadline runs from the express notification or from the moment the reconsideration is deemed rejected. (Official State Gazette (BOE))

2. We review the act, file, and procedure
We don’t just look at the outcome. We examine competence, reasoning, evidence, procedural steps, and legal compliance.

3. We define the best legal route
Appeal (alzada), reconsideration (reposición), ex officio review, public liability, or contentious-administrative proceedings.

4. We don’t improvise
In administrative matters, a good strategy starts with knowing what you are claiming, before whom, and with what evidence.

What documentation we need

If you already have it available, it is useful to gather:

the resolution or official notification received
the administrative file reference or, if possible, the full administrative dossier
any written submissions already filed
evidence or documents supporting your version of events
photos, reports, invoices or expert opinions if there is damage involved
in public liability claims, all documentation that helps establish the harm, causal link and economic valuation

If you don’t have everything, that’s fine. We will tell you what is truly missing and what is worth requesting before taking any steps.

Do I always have to go through an administrative appeal first?

Not always. It depends on whether the act does or does not bring the administrative process to an end, and on the strategy that is most appropriate in each case. If the act does end the administrative process, Law 39/2015 allows you to either file an optional reconsideration appeal (reposición) or go directly to the contentious-administrative courts.

How long do I have to go to court (judicial review)?

As a general rule, you have two months to challenge express administrative acts that end the administrative process, and six months for presumed acts. If you have filed a reconsideration appeal (reposición), the deadline runs from its express decision or from the moment it is deemed rejected by administrative silence.

How long do I have to file a public liability claim?

As a general rule, you have <strong>one year</strong> from the date the event occurred or from when the harmful effect became apparent. In cases of physical or psychological injury, the period starts from the moment of recovery or from the determination of the extent of the after-effects.

What makes a claim against the Administration strong?

A claim is stronger when the administrative act is poorly reasoned, improperly processed, issued by an incompetent authority, or when there has been a breach of procedure. In public liability cases, it is also key that the damage is clearly identified and properly linked causally to the functioning of the public service, depending on the legal route being used.

If the Administration pressures you, don’t assume it is right

In administrative law, the difference is often not that the Administration is stronger, but that the individual acts too late or does not properly challenge the decision.
If you have been fined, had something important denied, received no response from the Administration, or suffered harm caused by public services, we help you act with a clear focus: deadline, evidence, and strategy.

Request an initial administrative assessment