OUR FEES

Depending on the type of work, we charge:

(a) On a time basis (each hour is divided into 10 units of 6 minutes each unit, and work done for you (such correspondence, advising you or drafting documents) is recorded to your file with the appropriate amount of units. Our hourly rate changes from time to time, at present our hourly rate is £330 + VAT; or

(b) On a fixed fee basis (you will need to contact us with details of the work that you require and we can then advise you whether we can undertake that work, or any part of it, on a fixed-fee basis); or

(c) Partly on a fixed-fee basis and partly on a time basis.

You will find in this section further fee information on the following types of work:

English probate work. Applying for the grant (and if instructed, assist you in collecting and distributing the assets)

Most of our clients chose to have their fees for probate work calculated on the basis of hourly rates, as this will often work out to be the most economical option and it is fairest as they pay our fees, based on the amount of time spend on their file. However the risk is that if any complications arise, our initial estimate can be exceeded.

If you prefer the re-assurance of a fixed fee and we’re happy to offer a fixed fee basis for probate work; you will need to contact us with the specific details of your case and we will then explain to you how the fixed fee option will apply to your case.

What we typically do:

  • Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
  • Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
  • Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
  • Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
  • Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
  • Draft a legal oath for the executor/s to swear
  • Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
  • Obtain the Probate and securely send it to you (if you are going to deal with collecting and distributing the assets), or
  • Assist you in collect and distributing all assets in the estate

Cost estimate (on the basis of hourly rates).-

The quote below is for estates where:

  • There is a valid will made in accordance with the laws of England and Wales
  • There is no more than one property
  • There are no properties outside England and Wales
  • No translations are required
  • The deceased died domiciled in England and Wales
  • There are no more than two bank or building society accounts and the accounts hold cash
  • There are no other intangible assets
  • There are 1-3 beneficiaries
  • There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
  • There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
  • There are no claims made against the estate

If the deceased died domiciled outside England & Wales, or the deceased’s Will was made in accordance with the laws of another country, or the deceased left properties or assets outside England and Wales, we may still be able to assist you but our fees are likely to be higher than the estimate provided here.

Estimated fees:

If we only assist you in obtaining Probate (but we do not assist you in collecting and distributing the assets). We anticipate this will take between 3 and 6 hours work at £330 per hour (+VAT). Total costs estimated at £990-£1,980(+VAT).

If we assist you in obtaining Probate and also in collecting and distributing the assets, we anticipate this will take between 9 and 15 hours work at £330 per hour (+VAT). Total costs estimated at £2,970-£4,950 (+VAT).

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end. The amount of correspondence with you or third parties (such as banks), telephone calls or meetings requested by you will also have a bearing on our total fees, as we charge for our work based on the time spent on your matter.

Disbursements to be paid in addition to the above estimate of fees:

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

  • Probate application fee of £155 (no fee if the estate has a value below £5,000). Please note that these fees are changed by the Government from time to time. Please contact us at the time of instructing us so that we can confirm whether any changes have taken place
  • £5 Swearing of the oath plus £2 per exhibit (per executor)

The following disbursements apply if we assist you with the distribution of the assets:

  • Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims. The cost will depend on the local newspaper. We will contact you and advise you of the cost before incurring the expense

Potential additional costs

    • If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information.
    • If there are disputes between beneficiaries, if some beneficiaries are incapable or minors or are not contactable or do not cooperate, or information or documents that we need from you are not provided promptly, or if you require details explanation of the work involved or seek advice on related matters, or if any properties comprised in the estate are subject to a dispute or there are any other legal problems with the property such as squatters, rented, charged as a result of debts (other than an ordinary mortgage), there is likely to be additional costs.
    • If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50 (1 per asset usually).
  • Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 6-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 8-16 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 8-16 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 8-16 weeks.

Our range of fixed fees for an undisputed business to business debt.

Court Claims

These costs apply where your business claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed and enforcement action is not needed. If the other party disputes your claim at any point, we will discuss any further work required and provide you with revised advice about costs if necessary, which could be on a fixed fee (e.g. if a one off letter is required) or an hourly rate if more extensive work is needed.

Debt valueCourt fee Our fee (plus VAT, currently 20%) Total
Up to £300£35  
£300.01 to £500£50  
£500.01 to £1,000£70

  
£1,000.01 to £1,500£80

  
£1,500.01 to £3,000£115

  
£3,000.01 to £5,000£205£1,000 (£1,200 inclusive of VAT)£1,235 + court fee
£5,000.01 – £10,000£455£2,500 (£3,000 inclusive of VAT)£3,455
£10,000.01 – £50,0005% value of the claim£5,000 (£6,000 inclusive of VAT)£TBC
£50,000.01 – £100,0005% value of the claim£7,500 (£9,000 inclusive of VAT)£TBC
 
 

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:
• The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
• Interest and statutory compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
• The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action of any court order obtained is needed to collect your debt.
Our fee includes:
• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Sending a letter before action
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, when payment is received
• If the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default in received, write to the other side to request payment
• If payment is not received within 14 days, providing you with advice on next steps for enforcement and likely additional costs

Matters usually take 1 – months from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default and presuming that there is no delay in the Court issuing your claim, if submitted

If enforcement action is needed, or the other side makes an application to set aside the judgement, the matter will take longer to resolve.

 

We can assist European nationals with applications to obtain Spanish passports/nationality and UK passports/nationality. We can offer:

A fixed fee consultation
We can offer clients the option of a one-off fixed fee consultation. This consultation is suitable for clients who are unsure as to the extent of the assistance they require. The consultation will last one hour and we will go through any relevant options and requirements.

There will be no obligation to continue with any further work and we will provide clients with a quote for the work required in the event that you instruct us.

A full application service
This is for clients who want a complete immigration service. This service includes all advice and work needed for an immigration application.

We will consider documents, attend on the client, take their instructions and providing advice, prepare and submit the application, and advise the client on timelines and the outcome of their application
Work for a full application service will be charged on an hourly rate, at £330 + VAT.
On average, this type of work takes between 3-4 hours to complete. This means that on average costs are between £990 and £1,320 plus VAT.

The exact number of hours it will take depends on the circumstances in your case. Such as:
• The amount of supporting evidence that we need to consider
• Which language(s) you speak
• Whether you are applying with other dependants

The above estimate is on the basis that you are able to provide sufficient evidence at our first meeting and clearly meet the applicable Immigration Rules. Otherwise the above estimate is likely to be exceeded, depending on the problems identified, how long it takes for them to be resolved and the amount of involvement (e.g. emails, telephone calls etc) from you during this time.

The work will involve:
• discussing your circumstances in detail and confirming whether this is the most appropriate application for you to make and what other options may be available to you;
• giving you advice about the requirements of the Immigration Rules and whether you meet the criteria;
• if you do not fulfil certain criteria, whether this can be overcome and how;
• considering the supporting evidence you have provided;
• preparing your application and submitting it on your behalf;
• Attendance at a Home Office interview or a meeting at the Spanish Consulate, as the case may be: we will give you clear advice (and discuss the possibility of us attending with you for an additional fee over and above the above estimate).
• giving you advice about the outcome of the application and any further steps you need to take.

If any documents need to be translated we can also undertake that additional work; our translation rate is £130 + VAT per 1,000 words, with a minimum fee per document of £120 + VAT. This include translation and certification of the translation where required. The fees for the translation of any documents will be over and above the above estimate.

If documents are missing we may need to exceed our estimate; the additional fee for this will depend on how long it will take to obtain the missing documents.

Our fees as above do not include any disbursements. Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as application fees (e.g. Home Office fees), legalisation fees, consular fees, etc.

Where your application is refused, our fee estimate as above does not include any advice and assistance in relation to any appeal or fresh application

How long will my application take?
We cannot guarantee how long the Spanish Authorities of the Home Office will take to process your application. In respect of application to the Home Office, please read the current processing times.
We will normally be able to submit this type of application within 4 weeks of you instructing us, but we will let you know at the earliest opportunity if it is likely to take longer than this; where we have asked you for documents which you are obtaining and have not send them to us, such time estimate will start only form the date we receive all supporting documents form you .

Please note the anticipated number of hours and fees are an estimate based on the facts above. All applications are likely to vary and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

BUYING IN SPAIN

We can assist with the purchase of a re-sale property, newly built property, off-plan property, property in an urban area or in the countryside, regardless of whether the purchaser and/or the vendor are individuals or are companies, and regardless of whether the vendor has an existing mortgage on the property and whether or not you will need to mortgage the property in Spain to finance your purchase.
Our charge will be based on the time spent on the matter and will be charged at the hourly rate of £330 + VAT. The value of the property can also be a factor to consider when providing a fee estimate.

You can contact us with the specific circumstances of your intended transaction and we will provide you with a fee estimate for the work required.

As an example of our fees we will set out below information in the event of the purchase of a re-sale mortgage-free property situated in an urban area in Spain where the vendor is an individual and the purchaser is also an individual; and the purchaser will not be mortgaging the property in Spain to finance the purchase and the property has a value of less than 300,000 Euros.

Assuming the transaction proceeds smoothly, fees can range from £2,310 to £2,640 (+VAT) and disbursements. This is not a fixed estimate but is likely to include the usual property searches, exchange of contracts, arranging completion (including instructing the Notary and reading and requesting any changes to the deed of transfer) and correspondence with you and with the vendors, provided legal problems are not identified (e.g. planning problems, charges, debts etc) and correspondence is kept to a minimum (if you generate a lot of correspondence, or we need to chase you or the vendors or those who need to provide information or documents as part of the searches, the above estimate is likely to be exceeded). If I need to exceed this estimate we will contact you first and request your authority to continue working.

The above fee estimate assumes that this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction; the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise; and all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.

On top of the above estimate, if we need to prepare Spanish Powers of Attorney (“PoA”), the fee is £340 + VAT for drafting each PoA with up to 2 signatories. There will be a surcharge of £60 + VAT for each additional signatory of the same PoA. If separate PoAs need to be produced, each additional PoA will be charged at £150 + VAT. Spanish PoAs need to be signed in the presence of a Notary, the above fee includes having them signed in our office, but if the signatories prefer to sign before their local Notary, they will also need to pay the local Notary’s fee for witnessing their signature/s. In addition, each document will need to be legalised with the Apostille; there is a disbursement of £30 payable for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for this. Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

If the purchasers do not have a Spanish identity number (“NIE”) and you require our assistance with this, our additional fee for obtaining your NIE is, for each NIE, £200+VAT plus a disbursement of approx. £8.50 (Spanish Government fee). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

Amongst the disbursements, you can expect to pay Spanish Land Registry fees (depending on the value of the property, but usually approx. £500-£800); Transfer Tax (the rate of this tax will depend on where in Spain is the property, but in most parts of Spain is at least 8% of the value of the property); our/our agents’ fees for payment of Spanish purchase taxes & registration (approx. £500-£700); other minor disbursements such as bank charges, legalisation fees, couriers’ charges, office copy entries, etc. (approx. £150).

If you are unable to attend completion we can complete on your behalf, but on top of the above fees there will be an additional charge for us or for our agents to attending completion in Spain on your behalf or for accompanying you to verify, translate and explain the deed of transfer (if you require assistance with this part of the transaction we will provide you with a fee estimate in due course).

The purchaser may also have to pay (unless paid by the vendor) Notarial fees (depending on the value of the property, but usually approx. £700-£900) and local plusvalía tax (amount to be advised by the Town Hall).

If we are asked to translate any documents which need to be used in Spain (e.g. a marriage certificate, a deed of change of name, etc) there will be an additional fee for any translations; our translation rate is £130 + VAT per 1,000 words (with a minimum fee of £120 + VAT per document). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

How long will my Spanish house purchase take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you can move in to your house will depend on a number of factors. The average process for the purchase of a re-sale mortgage-free house in an urban area of Spain where no mortgage is required to finance the purchase and no legal problems have been found is 6-10 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties (especially whether they provide all relevant information and documents promptly and the purchaser is in a position to move quickly, already has a bank account in Spain etc).

Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in the purchase of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:
• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Check finances are in place to fund purchase
• Request and receive the relevant information and documents
• Carry out searches
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (date from which you own the property)
• Exchange contracts
• Advise you of the relevant arrangements for payment of the monies on completion
• Contact the Notary, receive the draft deed of transfer and if necessary request any changes
• Make arrangements with you for completion (i.e. you need to attend the Notary’s office to sign the purchase at the same time as the vendors; or if any party is unable to attend their respective representatives will need to attend with a relevant Spanish Power of Attorney)
• Deal with payment of the Notary’s fees and Spanish purchase taxes
• Deal with application for registration at the Spanish Land Registry
• Receive in due course your deed of purchase for you to collect form us or for us to send it to you

SELLING IN SPAIN

We can assist with the sale of a property in an urban area or in the countryside, regardless of whether the purchaser and/or the vendor are individuals or are companies, and regardless of whether you have an existing mortgage on the property and whether or not the purchaser will need to mortgage the property in Spain to finance their purchase.
Our charge will be based on the time spent on the matter and will be charged at the hourly rate of £330 + VAT. The value of the property can also be a factor to consider when providing a fee estimate.

You can contact us with the specific circumstances of your intended transaction and we will provide you with a fee estimate for the work required.

As an example of our fees we will set out below information in the event of the sale of a mortgage-free property situated in an urban area in Spain where the vendor is an individual and the purchaser is also an individual; and the purchaser will not be mortgaging the property in Spain to finance the purchase and the property has a value of less than 300,000 Euros.

Assuming the transaction proceeds smoothly, fees can range from £1,980 to £2,640 (plus VAT) and disbursements. This is not a fixed estimate but is likely to include the usual property searches, exchange of contracts, arranging completion (including instructing the Notary and reading and requesting any changes to the deed of transfer) and correspondence with you and with the purchaser, provided legal problems are not identified (e.g. planning problems, charges, debts etc) and correspondence is kept to a minimum (if you generate a lot of correspondence, or we need to chase you or the purchaser or those who need to provide information or documents as part of the documentations to be provided to the purchasers for their searches, the above estimate is likely to be exceeded). If I need to exceed this estimate we will contact you first and request your authority to continue working.

The above fee estimate assumes that this is a standard transaction and that no unforeseen matters arise including for example (but not limited to) a defect in title which requires remedying prior to completion or the preparation of additional documents ancillary to the main transaction; the transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise; and all parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from third parties providing documentation.

On top of the above estimate, if we need to prepare Spanish Powers of Attorney (“PoA”), the fee is £290 + VAT for drafting each PoA with up to 2 signatories. There will be a surcharge of £50 + VAT for each additional signatory of the same PoA. If separate PoAs need to be produced, each additional PoA will be charged at £150 + VAT. Spanish PoAs need to be signed in the presence of a Notary, the above fee includes having them signed in our office, but if the signatories prefer to sign before their local Notary, they will also need to pay the local Notary’s fee for witnessing their signature/s. In addition, each document will need to be legalised with the Apostille; there is a disbursement of £30 payable for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for this. Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

If the vendors do not have a Spanish identity number (“NIE”) and you require our assistance with this, our additional fee for obtaining your NIE is, for each NIE, £180+VAT plus a disbursement of approx. £8.50 (Spanish Government fee). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

Amongst the disbursements, you can expect to pay local plusvalía tax (amount to be advised by the Town Hall); other minor disbursements such as bank charges, legalisation fees, couriers’ charges, office copy entries, etc. (approx. £150). You may also have to pay all or part of the Notary’s fees (depending on the value of the property, but usually approx. £700-£900) if you have agreed with the purchaser to pay for this.

If you are unable to attend completion we can complete on your behalf, but on top of the above fees there will be an additional charge for us or for our agents to attending completion in Spain on your behalf or for accompanying you to verify, translate and explain the deed of transfer (if you require assistance with this part of the transaction we will provide you with a fee estimate in due course).
If we are asked to translate any documents which need to be used in Spain (e.g. a marriage certificate, a deed of change of name, etc) there will be an additional fee for any translations; our translation rate is £130 + VAT per 1,000 words (with a minimum fee of £120 + VAT per document). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

If you also wish us to undertake the work in connection with the recovery of the 3% withholding tax (if applicable) or payment of any additional Spanish Capital Gains tax resulting from the sale you will need to instruct us separately and we will provide you with a fee estimate for that work, which although resulting from the sale of your property in Spain, it is not part of our fees for the sale of the property. Alternatively you may wish to instruct your existing fiscal representative in Spain to deal with this.

How long will my Spanish house sale take?
How long it will take from your offer being accepted until you complete the sale and receive payment will depend on a number of factors. The average process for the sale of a mortgage-free house in an urban area of Spain where no mortgage is required by the purchaser to finance the purchase and no legal problems have been found is 6-10 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties (especially whether they provide all relevant information and documents promptly and the purchaser is in a position to move quickly, already has a bank account in Spain etc).

Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in the sale of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:
• Take your instructions and give you initial advice
• Request and receive the relevant information and documents
• Receive and advise on contract documents
• Obtain further planning documentation if required
• Give you advice on all documents and information received
• Send final contract to you for signature
• Agree completion date (date on which you sell the property and receive payment)
• Exchange contracts
• Advise you of the relevant payment arrangements on completion
• Contact the Notary, receive the draft deed of transfer and if necessary request any changes
• Make arrangements with you for completion (i.e. you need to attend the Notary’s office to sign the sale at the same time as the purchasers; or if any party is unable to attend their respective representatives will need to attend with a relevant Spanish Power of Attorney)
• Deal with payment of the Notary’s fees (if relevant) and Spanish local plusvalia tax (if relevant) or request from the purchaser evidence of payment of the latter and of the Spanish 3% withholding tax and send them to you (unless you instruct us to deal with your Spanish Capital Gains tax return in Spain).

MORTGAGING ON A SPANISH PROPERTY

We can assist you in connection with a mortgage of a property in Spain. Typically this will be done at the time of your purchase of the property; or with the cancellation of a mortgage at the time of the sale of your property. If any of those situations apply to you please contact us and we will provide you with an estimate of our fees.

Banks in Spain are unlikely to agree to a re-mortgage of your property and provide you with a loan on such basis. In the unlikely event of that being your case, we would be unable to assist you.

The most likely scenario for a mortgage to be set up against your property (other than at the time of purchase) would be if you owe money to a relative or friend or to a private UK lending company.

As an example of our fees we will set out below information on our fees in the event of acting for you as an individual property owner (borrower), where and the lender is also an individual and the mortgage is for less than 500,000 Euros.

Our fixed fee for drafting, notarising and legalising (using the standard service) the Spanish deed of mortgage in our offices in London will be £2,900 plus VAT and disbursements. However, if for whatever reason the document is not finally signed, the work done will be charged on a time basis as per my hourly rate (£330 + VAT). This fee includes our fee for explaining and witnessing the document as Notaries. These fees may need to be paid by the lender as in accordance with Spanish Law it may be difficult to enter into a binding agreement for the borrower to pay this. In addition, this document will need to be legalised with the Apostille; there is a disbursement of £30 payable for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for this.

The above fee does not include any correspondence, telephone calls, advice and searches; fees for this will be additional to the above estimate and will be charged on a time basis, at the hourly rate of £330 + VAT. If there are no title problems, property debts, or delays caused by the parties, by missing information or documents or by problems identified as part of the usual work, 2-3 hours (i.e. £660-£990 + VAT) may be sufficient for this aspect of the work provided correspondence is kept to a minimum (if you or the lender generate a lot of correspondence, or we need to chase you or the lender or those who need to provide information or documents as part of the documentations to be provided to the transaction, such as valuations or searches. Otherwise the above estimate is likely to be exceeded; however if we need to exceed this estimate we will contact you first and request your authority to continue working.

On top of the above estimate, if we need to prepare individual Spanish Powers of Attorney (“PoA”), the fee is £290 + VAT for drafting each PoA with up to 2 signatories. There will be a surcharge of £50 + VAT for each additional signatory of the same PoA. If separate PoAs need to be produced, each additional PoA will be charged at £150 + VAT. Spanish PoAs need to be signed in the presence of a Notary, the above fee includes having them signed in our office, but if the signatories prefer to sign before their local Notary, they will also need to pay the local Notary’s fee for witnessing their signature/s. In addition, each document will need to be legalised with the Apostille; there is a disbursement of £30 payable for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for this (assuming we use the standard service). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

If you do not have a Spanish identity number (“NIE”) and you require our assistance with this (or if you want us to obtain the lender’s NIE), our additional fee for obtaining each NIE is £180+VAT plus a disbursement of approx. £8.50 (Spanish Government fee). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

If we are asked to translate the Spanish mortgage deed or any other documents there will be an additional fee. Our translation rate is £130 + VAT per 1,000 words (with a minimum fee of £120 + VAT per document). Any correspondence required to obtain any necessary instructions, details or to arrange this will be additional for the above fee.

Depending on some of the terms and conditions to include in the deed of mortgage, an official valuation of the Spanish property may be needed, in which case you or the lender can expect to pay valuer fees. This is normally a percentage of the value of the property and you will need to pay that fee to the value direct.

Amongst the disbursements (i.e. third party fees, taxes or expenses), the lender can expect to pay Spanish Land Registry fees (depending on the value of the property, but usually approx. £500-£800); Stamp Duty (the rate of this tax will depend on where in Spain is the property, between 0.5% and 1.5% of the amount guaranteed by the mortgage) although in some cases exemption may be successfully claimed, and where the tax is payable in accordance with Spanish law it needs to be paid by the lender; our/our agents’ fees for payment of tax stamping & registration (approx. £500-£700); and other minor disbursements such as bank charges, legalisation fees, couriers’ charges, office copy entries, etc. (approx. £150).

How long will the mortgage take?
This will depend on a number of factors. The average process for the mortgage of a house in Spain and no legal problems have been found is 6-8 weeks.
It can be quicker or slower, depending on the parties (especially whether they provide all relevant information and documents promptly and the parties are in a position to move quickly).

Stages of the process
The precise stages involved in the mortgage of a residential property vary according to the circumstances. However, below we have suggested some key stages that you may wish to include:
• Take your instructions on the loan/mortgage terms and give you initial advice
• Request and receive the relevant information and documents (including if relevant an appropriate valuation)
• Make some searches
• Draft the Spanish deed of mortgage (and if relevant any Powers of Attorney, obtain NIEs and produce translations into English)
• If necessary make any changes to the deed of mortgage
• Agree a date for the parties (or their attorneys) to attend our office to sign the deed of mortgage
• Legalise the deed of mortgage (and any other relevant supporting documents)
• Deal with the Spanish tax office and with the Spanish Land Registry for registration of the deed of mortgage.

NOTARY SERVICES

If the Notarial work that you request from us is simple, I will endeavour to charge a fixed fee and provide you with details of any disbursements (such as legalisation fees, postage, courier fees, etc) which apply in addition of our fee. Manuel Martin & Associates is a trade name for Manuel Martin & Associates Limited, company number 11950779 registered at Companies House for England & Wales; and for Manuel Martin & Associates-Notarial Services Limited, company number 11987020 registered at Companies House for England & Wales.

Our insurance cover is £3 million per any claim. 

 

Manuel Martin & Associates-Notarial Services Limited charges UK VAT on fees (and on any VATable  disbursements).The VAT Registration Number of Manuel Martin & Associates-Notarial Services Limited is 326 9426 83

 

Notarisation of documents.-

An example of this can be to notarise (i.e. certify as a Notary Public) a copy of an original passport; we can do this in English, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese.

Other examples of Notarisation can be to notarise your signature on a ready drafted document for the USA; or to confirm the validity of an Academic Certificate issued in the UK.

There are many more examples; if you are uncertain as to whether what you require is just a Notarisation on a document, please contact us.

Our minimum fee for notarising a documents starts from £50 + VAT (20%) = £60. This fee normally apply to copy passports, copy utility bills, and some US documents which require multiple notarisations.

The fee will depend on the nature, language and use of the document. In some cases discounts can be applied for multiple documents. Thus, higher fees may apply to documents certifying company matters, issued in a language other than English or that require the drafting of separate Notary certificates or if the document to be notarised contains word to the effect that the Notary certifies any aspects of the document itself (for example, if you require a Power of Attorney for Spain to be notarised). 

We will always advise you in writing of the fees applicable to the services you need from us.

Depending on the job requested we may need to charge you for any advice requested or for correspondence with you or with third parties (for example, with your lawyers in the jurisdiction where you are intending to use the document). If this is going to be relevant to the work you are asking us to undertake for you we will always advise you in writing before we undertake such work. Sometimes we may be able to agree a fixed fee; otherwise our we will apply our hourly rate (£330 + VAT) with a minimum fee of £33 + VAT = £39.60

 

Coming to see you.-

Travelling time fees to your office, home, hospital, etc  will be £150.00 + VAT= £180.00 if you are no more than 20 minutes away from our office (on foot and/or using the underground, train or bus) within Zones 1 or 2. If you do not meet this criteria we can still travel to see you but a different fee may apply; we will inform you in writing of our fee and request your consent before we travel to see you.   

 

Drafting documents.-

An example of drafting a document can be drafting a Power of Attorney for Spain (to be signed on behalf of a company, or by an individual on his or her personal capacity).

Fees will vary depending on the complexity of the document that we need to draft, how many people will be signing the document and whether it is going to be granted by a company or an individual.

We will endeavour to provide you with a written fixed estimate (for you to confirm instructions) for drafting the document that you request before we undertake any work. If we need to obtain further details from you or from a third party in order to draft your document we will also need to charge you on a time basis for this, in accordance with our hourly rate. Before we start working for you we will inform you in writing of the relevant hourly rate and we can agree a fee limit that we must not exceed before we obtain your authority to continue working for you.

 

Legalisation of documents with the Apostille.-

We can legalise documents produced or signed by us; or documents issued by other UK authorities or Notaries. For example we can legalise a UK birth, death or marriage certificate.

Our fee for legalising a document (or a batch of documents for you) is £145 + VAT= £174 and a disbursement of £30 per Apostille if we use the Foreign Office standard service; or £210 + VAT= £252.00 and a disbursement of £75  per Apostille if we use the Foreign Office express service.

Other legalisations.-

If additional legalisation is required (e.g. at the Embassy of the country where you are intending to use the document) there will be additional fees and disbursements (expenses that we need to pay on your behalf). We will endeavour to provide you with a written fixed estimate for you to confirm instructions before we undertake this work. Generally we charge £210 + VAT= £252.00 plus the Embassy/Consular fee for legalising a document at a London Embassy/Consulate. Different London based Embassies or Consulates charge different fees. If the relevant Embassy/Consulate requires that the document is legalised with the Apostille first and you want us to obtain the Apostille for you, the fees and disbursements explained in the above paragraph will also apply.

The cost of posting the documents to you/another person in the UK by signed for post will be £16 + VAT = £19.20.

The cost of sending documents to Europe and some countries in America will be £60 + VAT = £72.

 

Reviewing a fee estimate.-

Occasionally unforeseen or unusual issues arise during the course of the matter which may result in a revision of our fee estimate. Examples of this could include where additional documents are required to be notarised, additional translations or legalisations are needed to meet the requirements of the receiving jurisdiction, third party fees are changed (such as the fee charged by the Foreign Office for an Apostille) etc. We will notify you of any changes in the fee estimate as soon as possible. 

 

Methods of payment.-

We do not have facilities to accept card payments. You can pay us by bank transfer or if the total amount to be paid (including any VAT and disbursements) is below £500 we can accept cash payments.

 

Commissioner for Oaths.-

Commissioner for Oaths documentation, certified by an English qualified Commissioner for Oaths/Solicitor, is not recognised outside England and Wales. Generally we do not undertake this kind of work where the document is to be used only in England and Wales.

As Notaries, we can assist with similar documents to be used Overseas; our fees are as indicated in previous paragraphs. Please contact us and we will provide you with a fee estimate.

​For any other type of work, please contact us and we shall be pleased to provide you with information on our fees.

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