Lawyers in Galicia

Legal help in Galicia

Galicia (Galicia, in Galician) is an autonomous community in the north-west of Spain with four provinces — A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. Its capital is Santiago de Compostela and its largest city is Vigo. Galician and Spanish are the two official languages.

The lawyers on this page have offices in Vigo and Santiago de Compostela. Every city page shows the lawyers within reach of it, nearest first.

What is specific to Galicia

• A civil law of its own — Galicia has its own civil law, which affects inheritance, family property and rural land. Whether it applies to you is a question for your lawyer.
• Rural property — country houses and plots often come with questions of boundaries, of registration and of several heirs sharing one plot, which are worth checking before a purchase.
• Language — official documents may be in Galician as well as Spanish; your lawyer explains them to you in English.
• Taxes set by the region — the community sets rates and reliefs for the property transfer tax, the stamp duty and the inheritance and gift tax.

What people usually need a lawyer for in Galicia

• Buying a country property — land registry checks, boundaries and planning status: Property Purchase and Property Law.
• Inheritance — a will, and settling an estate with several heirs: Probate Law.
• Residence — the NIE and permits: Immigration.
• Business — Business Set-Up, contracts and employment: Business Services.

Questions and answers

What should I check before buying a country house in Galicia?

Who is the registered owner and whether the land registry and the cadastre agree on the plot and its boundaries, whether there are charges, and whether the house and any additions were built with the licences required. Your lawyer does these checks before you sign.

Is Galicia's law different from the rest of Spain?

In some matters, yes. Galicia has its own civil law, which can affect inheritance and family property of people with Galician civil status, while a foreign resident's inheritance is mainly governed by the EU succession regulation. Ask your lawyer which rules apply to you.