Lawyers in Tenerife
The Spanish legal system is quite different from what you are used to and you cannot assume that the law will be the same in Tenerife as it is in the UK or Ireland. By far the best use of an abogado, or lawyer, is to guide you and help to prevent you landing in trouble, rather than trying to get you out of it, after the event. This is especially true if you run a business, where you may contravene the law without even knowing it.
Delay in starting an action can be construed as having a weak case in Spain, so it is better to instruct a lawyer at the first sign of trouble. The court will see speedy action in a positive light.
In either case, a good abogado will try to resolve the situation before it escalates to the courts, because of the costs involved.
A perennial problem for any expat is finding a good lawyer. With the difference in language, culture and law, it can be difficult to exercise sound judgment. Nevertheless there are a number of factors that can help to guide you:
• Language
If you don’t speak fluent Spanish, find a lawyer that speaks English. It is important that you are able to communicate clearly with your abogado and that he understands you precisely.
• Experience
Hundreds of new lawyers are churned out of the educational system every year. Ensure that your lawyer has substantial experience: you don’t want to be paying for a lawyer to learn, you want one that knows.
• Referral
Referral is one of the best ways of finding a good lawyer, but like any referral, you need to trust the person who is making the recommendation.
• Expertise
A lawyer that has been recommended to you because he is marvellous at property law may have scant knowledge of the form of litigation you wish to pursue. A good solution is to choose a firm where there are a number of lawyers practicing and offering a number of specialisms under one roof. This will keep costs down.
• Negotiation skills
One thing you may be able to get an idea about when meeting a lawyer is their negotiation skills. As many legal issues are sorted out between lawyers, you need someone able to negotiate well on your behalf.
• Connections
There’s no getting away from it, but in Tenerife a well connected lawyer can help to open doors and resolve issues quietly on your behalf. For example, if you are in business, then your dealings with the ayuntamiento will be greatly assisted by a lawyer with good connections.
Alan Burridge is a well known and successful expat businessman in Tenerife with interests in property, construction, bars, restaurants and the leisure industry. Over the twenty five years he has spent on the island, his demands on a lawyer have been understandably extensive and varied. “With a wide range of issues to deal with, we have always needed the best legal advice with a real breadth of coverage,” says Alan. Alvaro Thoel & Associates were one of the few firms able to provide the scope of expertise required by a business with such varied demands, and Alan was lucky to find them. “We were impressed from the start, and the relationship blossomed from there.” Fifteen years after first appointing Alvaro Thoel and his legal team, Alan continues to be impressed. “They once saved us €30,000 by spotting one tiny clause in a contract,” reminisces Alan.
But advice which steers you through the legal minefield also needs to be backed up by the technical abilities of a bomb disposal expert. A good lawyer in Tenerife can sometimes fix problems before they get out of hand. Conciliation and negotiation, as well as knowing the right people, helps on this small island. “Alvaro’s firm are very well respected because they have integrity. That respect helps when you have to negotiate with the town halls. Local politics has a real effect on local law here,” advises Alan. Indeed one of the real advantages of Alvaro Thoel & Associates is their depth of understanding and abilities in dealing with the huge amount of bureaucracy that is required to do almost anything in Tenerife. A major stumbling block experienced by expats is the local administration, and there are few firms with the ability to unravel and solve these issues.
And sometimes a good lawyer is needed to pick apart a complicated and entangled legal problem. “I remember Alvaro and his team helping a friend of mine, who I have known well for 20 years. It was a real curve ball. His wife had died without a will and his property was not in his name. Then he died, leaving his worldly goods to his brother in a will. It was an absolute nightmare, but Alvaro Thoel and his team persevered,” Alan remembers. “Now that’s what I call conveyancing,” he adds with a laugh. “They just don’t leave anything to chance.”
Within the practice, Thoel & Asociados have a well qualified English Speaking team, able to deal almost any branch of the law. They are a local firm, well known in the south of Tenerife, but despite their success, they still manage to offer a very personal and dedicated service.
 Thoel & Asociados, TenerifeTelephone: 922 757 121 / 922 757 122Address: You can find Thoel & Asociados in Los Cristianos, near the church square in Edificio las Monjas on the second and third floors of 13, Calle General Franco. Visit Website or Send an Email |
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