Author: AntonioGuillen
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SUBJECT TO MORTGAGE OR NOT SUBJECT TO MORTGAGE : THAT IS THE QUESTION
I have to confess—sometimes estate agents drive me crazy, especially here in my hometown of Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of reliable and professional agents. But lately, probably due to the rising property prices in the city, I’ve noticed a recurring practice that really frustrates me. I’m talking about the buyer’s right…
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Varying a Spanish Will Using an English Deed of Variation
Most people familiar with the administration of an English estate know that a Deed of Variation can be used in England (and Wales) to change the distribution of an estate within two years of the date of death, provided certain criteria are met: That much is well-known — but what about foreign assets, such as…
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Returning the keys to the bank after the death of a relative
One of the first phrases that I learnt when I moved to the UK to work as a Spanish lawyer was “catch 22”. At the beginning I did not have a clue as to what it meant (‘a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations’ says Wikipedia) but…
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Oxford, annual conference and Brexit
Antonio Guillen attended the annual conference of lawfirm Gunnercooke, where he is a partner, and met his colleagues, including Spanish lawyer Claudia Font, to talk about the progress of the firm as well as other interesting topics such as personal development, stress management and of course…Brexit. One of the things that Antonio pointed out to…
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Spanish bank accounts after death: why is so complicated to close the account?
Most of my legal work relates to the administration of Spanish estates where the deceased and the beneficiaries are British. Very often the estate is comprised by a property and a bank account. In those cases, the lawyer acting for the beneficiaries and executors needs to gather the necessary documentation to produce a Deed of…
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Renting property in Barcelona
Ah, Barcelona. Lovely city. Famous for its gastronomy, football, fashion and its Architecture, specially buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila or Parc Güell. A very cosmopolitan city with inhabitants of all countries and cultures. Also a great place for foreign remote workers and professionals…
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What is the plusvalía tax? And why should it be charged after the death of a person?
This is a question very frequently asked by our clients. The question usually comes with a frown on the face. Clients understand the concept of Inheritance tax: someone dies, and the Tax office applies a tax because the beneficiary gets “presumably” wealthier. So far, so good but what is the plusvalía tax then? Clearly, the…
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Gunnercooke LLP shortlisted for UK Law firm of the year
Picture of Manchester where Gunnercooke LLP has one of its offices (together with London and Leeds). An extract from LegalWeek Allen & Overy (A&O), Kirkland & Ellis, CMS and Fieldfisher are among eight firms set to battle it out for Law Firm of the Year at the British Legal Awards next month. The…
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Buying property in Spain under-value
Spain is still recovering from the brutal economic recession that has affected its economy for the last 10 years. One of the main consequences of the recession was the collapse of the property market where properties went down in value consistently, reaching lower values that left many property owners in negative equity as their…
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I am British. Can I still get a Spanish passport?
I have connections with Spain. Can I apply for a Spanish Passport so I can keep my European status in the event of a potential hard-brexit? Now that Brexit has been implemented, some British citizens with connections with other European countries are considering applying for dual…