Shared Judicial Technology Between State and Catalonia: What Changes for Legal Professionals in 2026

Key data

Lawyers, solicitors and notaries operating in Catalan courts should be alert to possible changes in digital platforms for interaction with the administration of justice. The Resolution of 8 April 2026 from the State Secretariat for Justice formalizes an agreement with the Generalitat of Catalonia for the bidirectional transfer of technological solutions in the judicial field.

The objective is clear: share what already works instead of duplicating costly technological developments. Applications, platforms and computer systems developed by either administration can be adopted by the other. This is part of the policy of reusing digital assets between public administrations, in accordance with current interoperability regulations.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement regulates the bidirectional transfer of technological solutions in the judicial field between the General Administration of the State and the Generalitat of Catalonia. The key elements are:

• Purpose: Share applications, platforms and computer systems developed by each administration in the field of justice.
• Direction of transfer: Bidirectional. It is not only the State that transfers technology to Catalonia: Catalonia can also transfer its developments to the State.
• Stated purpose: Avoid duplication in system development and optimize the use of public resources.
• Regulatory framework: It is part of the policy of reusing digital assets between administrations, in accordance with interoperability regulations.
• Scope of application: Courts and tribunals with powers transferred to the Generalitat of Catalonia.

This type of agreement is not new in Spanish administration, but its application to the judicial field has direct implications for legal professionals working in Catalonia, as the digital platforms they use to file documents, consult files or receive notifications may be modified.

Economic and operational impact

The direct economic impact for companies, law firms or citizens is zero: the agreement does not establish fees, costs or economic obligations for private operators. The savings occur on the side of public administrations, by avoiding parallel development of equivalent computer systems.

The operational impact, however, may be relevant for those who work daily with Catalan courts:

• Changes in digital platforms: If the Generalitat adopts State systems, or vice versa, interfaces, access and digital procedures may change. This affects the daily management of law firms and solicitors' offices.
• Improvement in procedural efficiency: The modernization of Catalan courts resulting from the agreement may result in more agile processes, faster notifications and better access to digital files.
• Adaptation period: Any migration or platform change requires training and adaptation by users. Law firms with significant volume of cases in Catalonia should be alert to communications from professional associations and the administration itself.

Who does it affect?

• Lawyers who file documents and manage cases in Catalan courts.
• Solicitors who perform acts of communication and procedural representation in Catalonia.
• Notaries with regular interaction with the administration of justice in Catalonia.
• Law firms with headquarters or significant activity in Catalonia.
• Companies with active litigation in Catalan courts, which depend on their legal representatives to manage files digitally.
• Citizens who interact directly with courts in Catalonia (although the impact on this group is indirect and minor in the short term).
• Administration of Justice in Catalonia: courts and tribunals with powers transferred to the Generalitat.

Practical example

A law firm based in Barcelona regularly manages 200 active cases in first instance courts in Catalonia. It currently uses a specific digital platform of the Generalitat to file documents and receive notifications.

If, as a result of the agreement, the Generalitat adopts the computer system developed by the State (or migrates to a shared solution), the law firm will need to:

1. Update its access and credentials on the new platform.
2. Train its team in the use of the new system.
3. Verify that ongoing cases have been migrated correctly and that pending notifications are not lost during the transition.

This scenario does not involve regulatory costs, but does involve an operational adaptation cost that is worth anticipating. The key is not to wait for the change to arrive without prior notice: the bar associations and solicitors' associations in Catalonia will be the main channel for communicating these changes.

What should legal professionals do now?

1. Identify which digital platforms you currently use to interact with Catalan courts: document filing systems, case consultation, notification receipt.
2. Subscribe to communications from the Bar Association or Solicitors' Association of Catalonia to receive notices about changes in digital judicial platforms before they occur.
3. Review service agreements with technology providers if the firm uses case management software integrated with Catalan judicial platforms: a platform change may require software updates.
4. No immediate action is necessary: the agreement is in the publication phase and the operational entry into force of technological changes is not dated. But anticipating prevents interruptions in case management.
5. If you manage litigation in Catalonia from outside (law firm based in Madrid, for example), delegate monitoring of these changes to the local solicitor or correspondent.