Buying a property

I would advise using a Spanish Solicitor, a UK solicitor would find it very difficult to navigate around the complex legal system here. I use Serveco based in based, very efficient, professional and they speak excellent English.

If you contracted a UK solicitor to deal with the purchase of a Spanish property, they would most likely have to contract a Spanish abogado to do the actual work, as they generally wouldn't have any idea where to begin! When I was working in real estate a few years ago, we had a British client who insisted on using his own personal UK lawyer to deal with the purchase of a property in Lanzarote. His UK lawyer did have contacts in Madrid, but not in the Canary Islands, where he was buying. So the UK lawyer contacted the Madrid abogado, who then contacted a local abogado in Lanzarote to complete the house purchase for him. Guess how much over the odds he ended up paying in legal fees, with the UK and Madrid lawyers doing nothing at all??? So cut out the middle man and use an English speaking, local Spanish abogado. There are plenty of them about!

Hi.

My lawyer Is actually Spanish but hes based in the UK so he knows Spanish law. Will this make a difference?

Well that will depend on who will be doing the local searches on the property and checking for any unpaid debts if it is a resale, and who will attend the Notary for the signing and registry of the escrituras and who will then sort out the change-over of the electric and water contracts and set up the payments for the local taxes once the sale has been completed. If you trust someone who is based in the UK to do all that, then the best of luck to you. On the day that you arrive at your new property and find a problem, who will be able to sort it out for you on the spot?

Use a Spanish solicitor …most things can be done online and by email until you get over …can highly recommend Eugenio at Mare Nostrum Law and Tax in Los Alcazares 

http://www.mnostrumlaw.com/index.php/en/

Hola  I would think it is best to use a Spanish lawyer 

in Balsicas    there are Propintunites  (if I have spelled it correctly)     at the Shell garage to your back   cross the road

you will see a park     stop for a coffee  in  the cafe   why rush you are in Spain      look around  you will see the estate agents/lawyers  

they even speak English    (well Irish)  in the owners case  

We used a UK law firm who specialised in buying & selling properties in Spain and they also have an office here.

I dealt mostly with the UK lawyer, but was aware that his colleague in Spain was doing most of the work; and then she (the lawyer in Spain) met us in person in Spain for the final purchase, etc.

I felt this gave us the best of both worlds.