Blog on Spanish law

Antonio Guillen

Antonio is a dual qualified Spanish lawyer and English solicitor specialised in Spanish civil law, in particular property and probate matters in connection to assets in Spain. Antonio is a Partenr at gunnercooke LLP, he also gives regular lectures on Spanish law to UK solicitors, STEP practitioners and Notaries Public and is known as a point of reference for cross border probate matters between UK and Spain. 
Antonio is the former Honorary Consul for Spain in Manchester, a role that he held from 2013 to 2017.

  • How to calculate the Inheritance tax in Spain for non-residents

     Quite often I am asked how much is the tax payable on a Spanish estate. My first answer to that question is that the tax is not paid by the estate but is paid by each beneficiary on the basis of what he or she inherits. My second reply is that the Inheritance tax is calculated on a…

  • Ok, a dación en pago has been approved. Now what?

                If you own a property  in Spain but you are no longer able to pay its monthly mortgage instalments, one of the possibilities contained in the Spanish legal system is the dación en pago which is the procedure to enable consumers to surrender their properties back to the bank…

  • Networking of Spanish businesses in Leeds

                  From left to right: Igor Urra, Alejandro Benavente, Antonio Guillen and Enrique Sanchez Great event on the 5th March at La Tasca in Leeds organised by a group of businessmen in Leeds, particularly Alejandro Benavente and Blanca Gonzalez who did an excellent job organising this fabuluos event in…

  • Official inaguration of the Honorary Consulate office in Manchester

                    On Wednesday 26th February, the Consul General of Spain in Edinburgh, Mr. Miguel Utray Delgado visited the offices of DWF in Manchester in order to officially inagurate the Honorary Consulate and hand the Spanish flag, shield and seal to Antonio, who has been recently appointed as the…

  • DEATH, BANK STATEMENTS AND TAXES IN SPAIN

    When the Spanish estate is not only made of properties            When inheriting assets in Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is property but the truth is that assets also involve bank accounts, shares and other type of properties such as a car or even a boat. We have…

  • Holiday apartments in Spain. Do I need a licence?

            A few days ago I wrote a post in connection to the property market in Barcelona and the increase of holiday apartments in the city.  The Catalan Government has recently regulated the holiday rentals market and now allows holiday rentals as long as the owners comply with certain obligations. Unfortunately, the situation is different in…

  • Buying property in Barcelona

                      Barcelona is probably one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Woody Allen tried to show it in his famous film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” although he excesively focused on the usual landmarks and buildings, forgetting that there is beauty in many other places apart from the…

  • Spanish Honorary Consulate office in Manchester

              The Spanish Consulate in Manchester closed more than 2 years ago. Since then, all consular matters for the North West were transferred to the Spanish General Consulate in Edinburgh. Very recently an Honorary Consular office has been opened in Manchester and located in our Manchester office. The Honorary Consul is Antonio…

  • TIMESHARES: HERE WE GO AGAIN

                It happens sometimes that hiring certain kind of services is easier than getting rid of them. An original idea could become a burden and we may struggle to get rid of the facilities that have made our life happier and more comfortable in the past. This situation is closely…

  • First use license and habitation certificate. Tomatoe, tomato. Are they the same thing?

                  There are two documents which are essential before moving into a house in Spain. They are called first use license (“licencia de primera ocupación”) and habitation certificate (“cédula de habitabilidad”). These two documents sometimes have their own validity and in other occasions complement each other. It is difficult…

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