Cada día, abogados renuncian a la defensa de sus clientes, como si acaso tuviesen una facultad especial, libérrima y unilateral de extinguir el contrato de servicios que les vincula. Sin embargo, ni la regulación de la relación abogado-cliente ni de los contratos sinalagmáticos en general permite que el letrado determine la extinción del vínculo por su mera voluntad unilateral. Por lo tanto, la “extinción” unilateral del contrato puede considerarse como un supuesto de incumplimiento del letrado, que no debería afectar ni a un proceso judicial existente ni a sus intervinientes. Además, si el incumplimiento resulta dañoso para el cliente -o terceros relacionados con el proceso-, el abogado se verá sujeto a la responsabilidad civil pertinente. Eventualmente, podría quedar sometido por el mismo acto a responsabilidad disciplinaria o incluso penal.

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Withdrawal from representation in Spanish law: breach of contract and procedural irrelevance

Lawyers use to freely withdraw service contracts with their clients, as it were a general right of this kind of relationship. Although, a closer look to the regulation of the specific contract and its general category shows that there is not such right, but just the natural binding effect of every contract, with no exception in this specific area of services. Therefore, that unilateral “extinction” of the contract it is actually a non-performance of the obligation, which should not affect the judicial process nor the other parties involved. In such way, if the breach of the contract causes damage to the client -or event other subjects not contractually related-, the attorney will have to repair that damage. Possibly, it could being considered as a disciplinary or even criminal offence.