Carmen Varela Álvarez

Managing partner
Lawyer and mediator

Trajectory

Carmen Varela Álvarez is a lawyer specialised in national and international Family Law, international child abduction, complex divorces, relocation, family criminal law, succession, and highly complex family wealth matters.

She graduated in Law from the University of Barcelona in 1992 and is a mediator, counsel before the Ecclesiastical Court of Barcelona, and a collaborative lawyer.

She is the managing partner of Carmen Varela Family Lawyers, a boutique law firm based in Barcelona specialising in Family Law, Family Criminal Law, Succession, and complex wealth matters.

Throughout her career, she has specialised in custody and parental responsibility, national and international divorces, the breakdown of unmarried partnerships, international child abduction, the national and international relocation of children, filiation, prenuptial agreements and arrangements in anticipation of separation, exequatur, modification of measures, spousal maintenance, financial compensation, child protection, ecclesiastical nullity, succession, and intrafamily conflicts with criminal implications.

Her practice is particularly focused on matters that require a combination of high-level legal expertise, procedural strategy, international dimension, and financial analysis.

Institutional Leadership and Professional Standing

Carmen Varela Álvarez is Chair of the Family Law Section of the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB).

She is also:

Vice-Chair of ASIME
Chair of the Exchange Commission of AIJUDEFA
Chair of the Canon Law Commission of AMAFI
Member of the IAFL
Member of Reunite
Member of the SCAF
Member of AIJUDEFA
Member of AMAFI
Member of the UIA
Founding partner and member of ACF

Her career combines professional practice, leadership in legal associations, teaching, and active participation in specialised national and international forums.

Teaching and Academic Activity

She combines professional practice with an intensive teaching activity. She is a lecturer on specialist and postgraduate programmes in Family Law and has delivered training at institutions such as ISDE and other specialised legal programmes.

She is also the author and co-author of academic works in the field of Family Law, including publications on international child abduction and other highly specialised matters.

Usual Areas of Practice