ICAM analyzes first months of Spain’s Procedural Efficiency Act

The Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) has launched a pioneering study assessing the first months of implementation of Spain’s Procedural Efficiency Act (L.O. 1/2025), with a particular focus on the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.

The research combines two complementary surveys: one open to all Madrid lawyers, aimed at gathering first-hand experiences across different areas of practice; and another directed at managing partners of business law firms, to understand how the new law is reshaping firm organization, client management, and conflict resolution strategies.

Eugenio Ribón, Dean of ICAM, highlighted “this study will provide us with a rigorous diagnosis of how the Procedural Efficiency Act is being applied in practice and will strengthen our ability to advocate effectively for the profession.”

Ribón also warned of the challenges already emerging in these first months: inconsistent criteria among courts, legal uncertainty surrounding the accreditation of ADR mechanisms, and an increase in bureaucratic burdens that hinder access to justice.

From the outset, ICAM opposed mandatory ADR requirements, denounced the lack of harmonized judicial criteria, and called for the exclusion of family law proceedings. At the same time, the Bar has developed a series of tools to support its members — including a dedicated section on its website, model documents, certification systems, and training initiatives — to help practitioners comply with the law in their daily practice.

The project is being driven by ICAM’s institutional magazine, OTROSÍ, as part of its new editorial strategy to provide service-oriented information and rigorous analysis of the realities facing the legal profession.

The findings of the study will be published in a special report, offering a comprehensive snapshot of how the Procedural Efficiency Act is being implemented and highlighting, through data and testimonials, the key challenges lawyers face in this new stage.

Roberta Poza, Governing Board Member and Chair of the OTROSÍ Editorial Committee, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “it is crucial to analyze how ADR mechanisms are working in practice, what difficulties professionals are encountering, and whether they truly deliver on the promise of a more agile justice system. Only with data and testimonies will we be able to put forward meaningful proposals for improvement.”