This dual membership of both the French and Spanish Bar associations is rare. It allows intervention directly within both legal systems without intermediary, and management of Franco-Spanish cross-border matters with practical knowledge of both legal systems.
Why engage a French lawyer in Spain rather than a Spanish lawyer?
This question arises naturally when you are French and must resolve a legal situation in Spain.
Working language
A French lawyer in Spain allows you to handle the entire matter in French: legal analysis, correspondence, explanations of Spanish law, document drafting. You understand what is happening at each stage, without depending on approximate translation or an intermediary.
Knowledge of both legal and judicial systems
Matters involving France and Spain do not fall solely under Spanish law. They often involve the Franco-Spanish tax treaty, the European regulation on inheritances, French declarative obligations linked to Spanish property or income. A lawyer trained in both legal systems anticipates these interactions without discovering them during the course of the matter.
Understanding of issues from the French perspective
Knowing that the sale of property in Spain involves a 3% withholding is not sufficient: you must also know how this taxation articulates with the French declaration, what you will need to do on the tax side in France, and how to avoid double taxation. This dual perspective is the core of the assistance proposed by the firm.
In what situations does the firm intervene?
The firm assists individuals and French-speaking families in the following situations:
Franco-Spanish inheritances
An inheritance is opened, with property in Spain, or heirs residing in France must settle a Spanish inheritance. The firm ensures representation of non-resident heirs, notarial and administrative procedures in Spain, and coordination with France.
See the page: Franco-Spanish inheritances.
Purchase or sale of property in Spain
Whether to acquire property, sell inherited property, or manage a rental investment, the firm intervenes from initial legal verification through notarial execution and tax formalities.
See the page: Property investment in Spain.
Tax residence and relocation to Spain
Transferring your tax residence to Spain, understanding the implications of a prolonged stay, or managing a situation where you are considered resident in both countries: these questions require precise analysis of Spanish tax law and the Franco-Spanish tax treaty.
See the page: Tax residence France-Spain.
Property taxation and obligations of the non-resident owner
A French person owning property in Spain is subject to annual tax obligations in Spain (property tax, imputed income tax or non-resident income declaration) and declarative obligations in France. The firm assists with compliance and ongoing management of these obligations.
Specific administrative and legal procedures
Obtaining the NIE, opening a non-resident bank account, notarial power of attorney, verification of Spanish official documents: the firm assists with these practical procedures for which the language barrier and unfamiliarity with Spanish procedures are often the first obstacles.
The firm at a glance
- Founded in 2001 in Alicante by Sènakpon Gbassi
- Lawyer registered with the Paris Bar since 1995 and the Alicante Bar since 2001
- Lawyer accredited to the General Consulate of France in Madrid, the Consulate of the United Kingdom in Alicante and the Embassy of Canada in Madrid
- Offices: Alicante (head office), Valencia, Murcia
- Intervention across Spanish territory
- Working languages: French, Spanish, English
- Professional liability insurance: €3,700,000 per claim
