When a UK resident requires Spanish law assistance, whether that’s regarding buying a Spanish property, dealing with Spanish probate, Spanish wills or Spanish powers of attorneys, or a matter relating to a business in Spain, using a Abogado based in Spain may seem like the obvious choice to make.
However, having spoken to many clients who have initially opted for this option, on many occasions, this may result in several issues you may have not anticipated. Issues that can be avoided by choosing a UK based Spanish lawyer.
There are a number of reasons why using a Spanish lawyer based in the UK is beneficial.
UK based Solicitors specialised in Spanish law can provide a seamless transition between the UK and Spanish legal systems.
Using a dual qualified Solicitor means your Solicitor can clearly explain how the Spanish legal system differs to the UK one and therefore can advise on the best way forward with regards to your matter bearing in mind the different legal systems.
A Spanish based lawyer in Spain may not understand all the consequences with regards to your UK interests. For example, I have seen many cases in which the Spanish will invalidated the UK will when this was not the intention.
You will always benefit from someone to explain to you your case using easily understandable UK legal jargon. They will also be able to explain the differences between jurisdictions. In Spain, the stages in your case can greatly differ to what you would generally expect in the UK, so providing you an explanation of the equivalent could give you some piece of mind and enable you to understand the process more clearly.
Your solicitor is on hand as and when you need them
Unfortunately, the UK climate doesn’t warrant the need for us to take an afternoon siesta, so you won’t need to worry about your Solicitor being unavailable for the best part of the afternoon. As well as that, there’s no time difference to get in the way of you speaking with your Solicitor. Therefore, your UK based Solicitor will be available during normal UK hours – and at the end of a non-premium telephone phone number!
It saves money
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of using a UK based Spanish lawyer is the money saving (along with the time saving!). Using a Solicitor specialised in Spanish law that has an in depth understanding of both English and Spanish jurisdictions for example, they, like myself may speak both languages. This saves huge expense and the inconvenience of paying for a translator in cases in which translation are merely needed to review the documentation first to obtain initial advice.
Lost in translation seems to also be a problem on occasions when dealing with some Spanish based lawyers. This together with the culture clash, may bring lots of problems in the case and it may end up taking much longer or having to change legal advisers which can increase the costs incurred.
You will also need to be careful with people in Spain saying they are Spanish lawyers, when in fact they do not have any legal background whatsoever and they are not registered in any Spanish Law Bars. It is always important to verify that your legal adviser is a qualified professional. As a consequence, I have assisted clients who came into difficulties due to have been advised by individuals with no legal knowledge, whose only interest was to finalise the translation to obtain a commission.
Client service
I can’t speak for every UK based Spanish lawyer, but the service provided at Cognitive Law is second to none. We take the time to get to know our clients and understand their legal needs and will always advise them on the best way forward under their circumstances. We pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge of the law, our experience, our professionalism and support we provide our clients from the outset. I have been instructed in many cases to liaise between the Client and their Spanish based legal adviser due to the lack of professionalism or lack of response. Unfortunately, not every professional in Spain has the good client service approach we provide in the UK, in particular in Cognitive Law.
In summary, instructing a UK based Solicitor to deal with your Spanish legal requirements can save you money, time, and stress in the long, and offer extensive knowledge, support and exceptional client service.
If you would like to discuss any Spanish law issues you may have, please feel free to contact me on carmen.calvo@cognitivelaw.co.uk or call me on 01273 284120.