Living in Spain – Bennet & Rey
  • Español

Living in Spain

At Bennet and Rey, we know that divorce or separation is a difficult moment in one’s personal life. For this reason, we treat our clients with the greatest care while defending their interests fully and offering them the best protection possible.

Our experience and knowledge both of Spanish legislation and of the English language allow us to listen to you, to understand you and to work for you in English.

At Bennet and Rey, we give advice both on divorce with mutual consent and also on contested divorce, with a team specialised in this field.

To ensure the rights of children is a key part of Spanish legislation.

At Bennet and Rey, we arrange mutual agreements and seek settlement when then is no agreement. We accompany you in English if you wish from the beginning of the process until the end and are available at all times to offer our full support.

At Bennet&Rey we are experts in Spanish Citizenship.

You may be descended from Spaniards and wish to apply for nationality, or perhaps you lost your nationality and now want to reclaim it. Living in Spain as a foreigner for a certain length of time means that you can apply for Spanish nationality, as long as you fulfil the requirements laid down in the law.

To apply for Spanish nationality is a long process which requires patience. It can take from one to three years. At Bennet and Rey we advise you on which is your best approach, we prepare the documents for you and we accompany you personally whenever that is possible at all stages of the process. As we speak English you will be kept fully aware in your language of the different steps being taken.

When drawing up a will it is very important to avoid uncertainty about the distribution of your belongings. And this is even more true when you have family or possessions in different countries.

At Bennet and Rey, we are used to writing wills involving more than one country and to dealing with legislation which differs from one country to another. We take into consideration the legislation of the different countries involved, and this allows us to give you the best legal advice possible. We recommend drawing up the will in Spanish and English or another language.

As lawyers who speak English, we listen to you and understand you, and we are there to help you in your own language and provide the best legal advice possible.

Inheritance is a special and difficult matter for anyone both from a personal point of view and from a legal point of view. But this is particularly true when laws and institutions of more than one country – which are often completely different – are involved. For example, countries in the Anglo-Saxon world have the concept of probate; and the time-scale for paying taxes is different in different countries.

At Bennet and Rey, we are used to dealing with inheritances which involve just Spain as well as ones which involve other countries. We investigate your case and give you advice in order to achieve the best legal solution for your interests.

We can do your inheritance tax.

We deal with inheritances which can be resolved by agreement between the parties and also contested inheritances, accompanying you in English if you wish, from the beginning of the process until the end.

Bennet & Rey will be with you every step of the way. If you are buying a property, from the moment you have set eyes on your dream home, or even while you are still hunting for it, Bennet & Rey will accompany you – until you have the keys to your new home in your hands. If you are are selling we can advise you on the process and help you to deal with the bureaucracy.

Remember, we speak English and Spanish – and we work in all Spain.

Also, if you cannot come to Spain, you do not need to worry as WE CAN ACT IN YOUR NAME. With a power of attorney, we could buy or sell a house or flat in your name.

Whatever the situation, we will be there giving legal advice, will negotiate on your behalf with the sellers or purchasers, and will prepare pre-sales agreements and contracts of purchase. We can ensure that all certificates required for purchase or sale and the title deeds are in order.

We will help with notification of all taxes required. We can be your contact with the Public Notary, with the Land Registry (the “Registro de la Propiedad”), with banks and surveyors,  collating all the information necessary to ensure that any purchase is a sound investment and any sale is completed properly.

In short, we know the Spanish market, property law and the “system”, and we will defend your interests and your rights in any issue arising with estate agents or individuals who are buying or selling.

Problems can arise at work and sometimes an employee is sacked. That is a time when appropriate legal advice is vital in order to defend his or her interests.

At Bennet & Rey we can help solve labour problems which might arise – dismissal or other circumstances, and we can provide the solution which is most beneficial to your interests.

As lawyers who speak English, we listen to you and we keep you informed in English concerning the process, accompanying you right till the end.

A citizen of a member state of the European Union, or of another state included in the European economic zone agreement, or of Switzerland wanting to stay in Spanish territory for more than three months is required to apply to be included on the central registry of foreigners.

The husband or wife, partner, father, mother, son or daughter of a European citizen resident in Spain can also request to be registered as a relative of a European citizen. This grants you the same rights as if you were a European citizen or a Spanish national.

At Bennet and Rey, we can inform you about the process and the documents which need to be provided.  As we also speak English, we will keep you up to date in English about the requirements and how your application is going, so that you can be confident that your lawyer is looking after your interests from the beginning to the end of the process.

If you want to stay in Spain for more than 90 days you will have to apply for some kind of temporary residence visa which later can be extended. There are different types of visas depending on your sitaution. If later you wish to stay longer in Spain you must extend your visa.

A long-term residence permit authorises you to stay for an indefinite period.

As long as you meet the requirements of the law you can keep renewing your visa until you obtain a permanent residence permit or Spanish nationality.

We know that adopting a child is a process full of optimism but there is always the worry that it may not turn out well – particularly when some couples have been trying for some time to have a child before the adoption.

At Bennet and Rey we work for you, we listen to you and we offer you our legal support so that adoption turns out well.

As English speaking lawyers we can speak to you in your language, and this allows us to be there to help you whenever you need us.

 

Each country is different and signing a rental contract requires knowledge of all the rules of the country and the way people negotiate. It is important to be aware of exactly what you are agreeing to.

At Bennet and Rey, we can help you with all these processes as we know the laws and the way people think. In addition, our knowledge of English allows us to accompany you, to keep you informed about the different steps and provide legal advice until the agreement has been signed.

Sometimes something happens and the result is a significant disagreement between tenants and his landlord; and on occasions ending a rental contract turns out to be complicated with uncertainty about the return of the deposit. In these circumstances knowing the laws of the country and the way Spaniards think is of paramount importance.

At Bennet and Rey, as lawyers who speak English, we accompany you through the whole process and we understand you, listen to you and are there to help you with the best legal advice possible.

 

Sometimes problems arise at work and that is a time when appropriate legal advice is vital in order to defend your interests.

At Bennet and Rey, we can help solve labour problems which might arise such as dismissal and provide the solution which is most appropriate to your interests.

As lawyers who speak English, we listen to you and we keep you informed in English concerning the process, accompanying you right till the end.

When you want to start a successful business venture, we will be there with you, offering you the best solutions. The same apples if you want to sell a business.

It is important to study such things as statutes and agreements with partners carefully and to be aware of problems which any process might involve. You should be aware of the legal status of the company involved – for example if there is any legal action pending or any problems with tax payments, and what licences are currently active.

Having this information is so important that it should have a significant effect on the price and any other negotiations.

As we are lawyers who can speak English with you, we can usefully be there for you at all moments.

We know running a business requires a large amount of work and dedication.

At Bennet and Rey our knowledge of Spanish laws and our experience allows us to deal successfully with these procedures while our knowledge of English lets us keep you informed in English about anything relevant to your business. At every moment you will feel advised and legally protected.

The Spanish authorities require everyone to make the necessary tax declarations and sometimes this is not easy. At Bennet and Rey we help with these procedures, and with the help of our experts in fiscal matters we offer you the best legal solution to any problems and organise the payment of your taxes – so that you do not have to worry more about this matter.

As we are lawyers who speak English, we will keep you informed and provide translation into English for you of every aspect of the process. We can also accompany you in person whenever necessary.

In our day-to-day life you can experience occasional problems, for example with services you have contracted such as for the telephone or internet.

Bennet and Rey defends its clients’ interests in disputes with companies, if necessary, in court. Our knowledge of Spanish laws and of the Spanish mentality helps us to negotiate with the companies.

As lawyers who speak English, we are able to understand you and support you in English, offering the best legal advice and representing you until the end of the process.

If you wish to travel to the United States from Spain, Bennet and Rey can offer the service of applying for a short-term visa for purposes of work or business (B-1) or a tourist visa (B-2). If you wish we can also give information on other visas.

We also arrange short-stay visas to other countries.

Our knowledge of English allows us to inform you fully about the requirements and keep you up to date on the whole process.

In Spain it is very important that such important moments in our personal lives be registered. On occasions, owing either to the joy or to the sadness of the moment, it is easy to forget to carry out the necessary paperwork.

As we have experience of this and we live in Spain we know the procedure well. Also, as lawyers who speak English we can translate for you and accompany you if necessary at all stages of the procedure.

Alongside the protection which the judicial system provides, we are currently involved in the development of other mechanisms where one’s own wishes are expressed, and which should in some circumstances help provide a better and more successful way of managing and resolving conflicts. One of these mechanisms is mediation. The principal advantages of mediation are:                                                                                                         

It is a mechanism which favours cooporation because it offers a positive attitude to any conflict, it encourages communication in private on neutral ground and it strengthens the participation of the parties by helping them to take responsibility for themselves.

The internet has now become an essential part of our lives. As a result we are constantly vulnerable to internet attack and possible fraud.

The laws concerning the internet change frequently. At Bennet & Rey we want to protect the interests of our clients by giving them legal advice on all this.

As lawyers who speak English we can give you this advice in English if you wish           

At Bennet & Rey we think that the rights of the elderly are paramount and are aware that this increasingly affects a growing number of people on our planet as life expectancy lengthens.

As those involved can be particularly vulnerable, we are sure that legal solutions can often offer the best protection.

We believe that everyone has a right to a comfortable old age, and at Bennet & Rey we consider different approaches so that the elderly can enjoy this new period of their lives with as few concerns as possible.

Brexit – a new scenario:  now what?

At Bennet and Rey ever since talk of Brexit began we have been in continuous contact with our clients about it, keeping everyone up to date with new rules, and informing our clients and the British community in general – with whom we have special links – of the changes taking place.

Residence cards

Now that we have Brexit we recommend that all our clients who have not yet changed their green cards (with no photo) should do so as soon as possible. It is true that, from a legal point of view, this old document continues to be valid, but we keep on finding cases in which the frontier police make things difficult for British people resident in Spain on their entry to the country.

Spanish nationality

If you are British and resident in Spain, remember that you possibly have the option of applying for Spanish nationality. At Bennet and Rey we have had much experience in helping British clients to apply for this. We therefore keep a close eye on the process, as it affects closely not only us but also our clients.

Since March 2017 we have organised talks, gone for interviews on the media and published some articles in the press to give people information about the practical results of Brexit.

So, do I have the right to apply for Spanish nationality?

  • If you are a British citizen and resident in Spain in general terms you have the right to apply for nationality if you satisfy one or more of the following conditions:
  • If you have had a period of more than 10 years legally resident in Spain
  • If you are married to a Spaniard and you have one year legally resident in Spain since the wedding
  • If you were born in Spain and you have been living in Spain legally for one year before applying for nationality.

At Bennet and  Rey we can inform you of the different options which you may have!