Legal services in Spain - who you need to contact when buying your luxury Spanish villa
When buying property in Spain you will incur a number of unavoidable extra expenses. Many of these relate to legal services in Spain and you must be sure to proceed in accordance with the law at all times. Once you have seen that luxury Spanish villa you must contact a solicitor, either Spain or the UK.
Legal Services in Spain - UK solicitors
There are a number of UK solicitor firms specialising in providing legal services for buying property in Spain. It is essential to use a firm with a solicitors office in Spain and Spanish speaking solicitors in the UK.
One such expert is John Howell & Co is a UK-based firm specialising in international law. The company has many years experience of legal services in Spain and can assist you at every step of the process of buying property in Spain.
Legal services in Spain - Spanish solicitors
When you first begin the process of buying property in Spain the first thing you must do is employ the services of a solicitor specialising in Spanish law.
They will give advice and guidance at each stage of buying the luxury Spanish villa and, more specifically, will:
- Check the property register for any debts registered against your property in Spain
- Advise you on how to proceed if any encumbrances are discovered
- Lodge the title deed for property in Spain with the land registry
- Deal with the payment of taxes relating to you buying the luxury Spanish villa
Reputable Spanish solicitors will greatly reduce the stress involved in buying property in Spain.
Legal services in Spain - the gestor
A gestor is the famous Spanish paperwork specialist employed specifically to navigate bureaucracy. The profession does not exist in many countries and foreigners setting up home in Spain often have difficulty understanding the concept.
In the coastal regions there are a high number of English-speaking gestors and for a modest fee they can save you many problems. A gestor can help you:
- Apply for residency
- Apply for a driving licence
- Complete your annual tax return
Although a Gestor can be incredibly helpful in the process of buying property in Spain they are not exerts in all areas of law. It may still be necessary to employ the services of a lawyer or tax consultant in some situations when purchasing your luxury Spanish villa.
Legal services in Spain - notario
A Spanish notario is a publicly appointed government official. He or she is a qualified civil servant whose primary function is to certify as to the legality of all matters brought before them for signature. One of their functions is to witness the buyer and seller exchange and sign contracts and no sale of property in Spain may be completed without the endorsement of a notario.
You should remember that something may not be in your favour but can still be perfectly legal. The notario is not there to safeguard your interests as that responsibility falls to your legal representative.
Legal services in Spain - translators
You should always employ the services of a translator when looking to buy property in Spain. Spanish estate agents may offer you the services of one but, as with your solicitor in Spain, you should always pay for an independent service. With large sums of money binding contracts involved it is well worth paying to protect your own interests when employing legal services in Spain.
