Update from My Lawyer in Spain – COVID 19
The state of alarm that has been declared in Spain is expected to last until 11 April 2020** although it will not come as a surprise if this is then extended, possibly until the end of April. Let us wait and see.
In our offices, we are operating with minimal staff and those not in the office are working remotely and all have access to our office phones and necessary tools to work on your behalf. Work on existing legal matters continues and we are providing legal support to our clients across Spain. We will continue to provide clients with ongoing commentary to help you and your business prepare for life after Covid 19.
Our offices are closed as we keep contact to a minimum to ensure the safety of our clients, colleagues and communities. If you have an appointment planned, contact us about alternative arrangements.
Legal work that does not involve signing documents before a notary or at court continues. Even work that does need to be signed before a notary continues as most notary offices are still open but only signing documents of an urgent nature such as the following are subject to the notary´s criteria:
- All types of finance matters such as loans and mortgages;
- Purchases and sales of properties where there is a mortgage generally;
- Property purchases and sales where the date to complete is approaching and they cannot be extended due to reasons that must be evidenced;
- Mortgage cancellations;
- Inheritances where the timeframe of six months from the date of death has not expired;
- Wills which require urgent signature due to health reasons;
- Urgent powers of attorney;
- Shareholders agreements of an urgent nature.
As you will appreciate from the non exhaustive list above, a considerable amount of legal work can and is still continuing despite the lock down although new matters are expected to take longer than before. We can confirm that since the state of alarm was introduced, we have completed numerous property purchases, sales and inheritances and signed Spanish wills in accordance with the above. Work that does need to be signed before a notary can and is being prepared ready for signature when the state of alarm is lifted.
Every Friday at 3pm we will be offering a free webinar on zoom to keep clients up to date with the latest news in Spain, so please check our website and social media for the latest insights and useful information
In accordance with the state of alarm please stay safe and contact us if you have any questions you would like us to answer or help you with during these unprecedented times.
Gracias for your continued support!
(*note since published this has been extended)
