The Spanish constitutional and legal system grants the right to free legal assistance for Spanish citizens as well as foreign nationals in Spain who lack the financial means to litigate or are part of certain vulnerable groups. However, many poor individuals do not meet the means test to qualify for free legal aid, as the economic threshold is very low and many nonprofit organizations are also not eligible. The decade-long economic downturn, from which Spain only recently emerged, led to drastic funding cutbacks in government support, which have not been fully restored. In addition, other administrative obstacles may effectively prevent access to legal aid. For example, even those who qualify for free legal aid may not be able to effectively access the help of a legal aid lawyer in practice, as is typically the case for asylum seekers in Spain.