Case Studies | English-Speaking Lawyer in Bilbao & Northern Spain

Buying a Property Through a Foreign Company

Client details have been changed or omitted to protect confidentiality. Every case depends on its own facts.

The situation

A foreign limited company wanted to buy a rural property in Castilla y León. On paper it looked like a standard purchase, but two features made it more complex: the sellers were not yet the registered owners, and the buyer was a foreign company.

The challenge

An unregistered inheritance title. The sellers had inherited the property under an escritura de adjudicación de herencia, but the inheritance had not been registered at the Land Registry. Before the purchase could safely go ahead, I had to establish the chain of ownership and confirm that the sellers were entitled to sell. This meant reviewing:

the Nota Simple;
the inheritance deed and earlier title documents;
historical adjudications and previous court documents;
Catastro information;
discrepancies in how the property was identified and described.

A foreign company as buyer. A foreign company needs its own Spanish tax number (NIF) before it can sign at the notary. The Spanish Tax Agency and the notary must also see sufficient evidence of the company’s existence, its ownership and the authority of the people acting for it.

What I did

Carried out Land Registry and Catastro checks and reviewed charges and the property description.
Reviewed the inheritance title, the chain of ownership and the outstanding registration position.
Reviewed the company documentation and obtained the company’s Spanish NIF.
Dealt with the NIE of the company’s director where required.
Prepared a Power of Attorney so that the tax, notarial and administrative steps could be handled in Spain.
Assisted with opening a Spanish bank account and coordinated with the notary.
Drafted and negotiated the Contrato de Arras, which set out who was responsible for regularising the Land Registry position and what had to be done before completion.

Why this matters

Proper legal due diligence is essential when buying property in Spain, especially where the title comes from an inheritance, a change of ownership has not been registered, or the buyer is a foreign company.

An Amicable International Divorce in Spain

Client details have been changed or omitted to protect confidentiality. Every case depends on its own facts.

The situation

A couple of different nationalities living in northern Spain decided to divorce. They had two children, and they had married outside Europe, so the case combined international documentation with the practical issues that any family separation raises.

Reaching an agreement

Both spouses wanted to resolve matters amicably and avoid a contested court process. I acted in the mutual-consent divorce and helped them agree the terms of a convenio regulador covering:

custody and parental responsibility;
the time the children spend with each parent;
use of the family home;
child maintenance and other expenses;
financial arrangements between the spouses;
other practical arrangements affecting the children.

The international element

Because the marriage was celebrated abroad, the foreign marriage documentation had to be properly authenticated and translated before it could be used in the Spanish divorce proceedings.

The result

The convenio regulador was filed with the divorce application and then ratified before the Spanish court, giving the family a clear, enforceable arrangement without a contested hearing.

When the case is not by mutual consent

In other international family cases I represent one spouse or parent only, while trying to negotiate an out-of-court agreement with the other party or their lawyer. Sometimes, despite genuine efforts, agreement is not possible. The court then decides issues such as custody, parenting arrangements, use of the family home or maintenance, sometimes after a psychosocial assessment of the parents and children.

Digital Nomad Visa: Helping a Family Apply from Within Spain

Client details have been changed or omitted to protect confidentiality. Every case depends on its own facts.

The situation

A family living outside Spain wanted to move here while one parent continued working remotely for a business abroad. They planned to travel to Spain to submit the application electronically and then return home while it was processed.

Two possible routes

From abroad: an application at the Spanish consulate for the applicant’s place of residence, which leads to a visa of up to one year.
From within Spain: an applicant who is lawfully in Spain can apply directly to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE) for a residence authorisation of up to three years.

The challenge

Everything had to be ready when the family arrived in Spain, to avoid delays or a repeat trip. That meant planning:

when to start collecting documents;
the expiry dates of police certificates and other official documents;
apostilles and sworn translations;
documentation for the spouse and child, including proof of the family relationship and income covering all dependants;
travel dates and the timing of the submission;
the return trip: once the authorisation is granted, each family member must attend a police appointment in Spain for fingerprints and the residence card (TIE).

What I did

Assessed eligibility and advised on the consulate versus UGE route.
Prepared a personalised document checklist and timeline for the whole family.
Reviewed the employment and company documentation and the income evidence.
Advised on social security, coordinated apostilles and sworn translations, and checked the criminal-record certificates required from each country.
Submitted the application electronically from Spain and dealt with requests for further documents.
Advised on the fingerprinting and TIE stage after approval.

Why preparation matters

The Digital Nomad Visa can look straightforward, but the outcome depends on the quality and consistency of the documents. A well-prepared application clearly shows the remote-working relationship, the financial position, the professional background and compliance with the immigration and social-security requirements.