Alberto Bertazzi
Founder & Director
A Bocconi University graduate with over 22 years in Spanish banking, Alberto leads FCG and personally oversees how the mortgage and legal sides of your case work together.
⚖️ Legal Services
Integrated Legal Services for Buying Property in Spain
Mortgage and legal support under one roof. Conveyancing, due diligence and completion, handled by a team that already knows your case — not a lawyer you've had to find and vet on your own.
Legal Representation
Why Buyers Use a Lawyer in Spain
Unlike some countries, Spain does not legally require a buyer to use a lawyer to complete a property purchase — the notary and the Land Registry provide certain safeguards of their own. In practice, though, independent legal representation is extremely common among foreign buyers, precisely because those safeguards do not cover everything a buyer needs checked before committing.
Direct answer: legal representation for a Spanish property purchase is optional, not mandatory — but it is standard practice among expat and non-resident buyers, and something we would recommend to almost every client. With David Jiménez Palomar heading FCG's legal department, this is now available as part of one coordinated service rather than a separate arrangement you have to organise yourself.
Not a Legal Requirement
Spanish law does not oblige a buyer to instruct a lawyer. The notary and Land Registry play their own role — but neither acts specifically on the buyer's behalf.
Standard Practice for Expats
Most foreign buyers choose independent legal representation, particularly when unfamiliar with the Spanish property and registry system.
Now Part of Your FCG Team
Legal support is coordinated directly with your mortgage case, by a team working from the same file rather than two firms meeting for the first time.
What's Covered
Legal & Conveyancing Services
General information only — the exact scope of work is confirmed with David directly based on your specific purchase.
Property Due Diligence
Checking the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) for outstanding charges, liens or discrepancies on the property before you commit to anything.
Contract Review & Negotiation
Reviewing and negotiating the private purchase contract (contrato de arras or compraventa) to protect your position before you sign.
Debt & Fee Checks
Confirming property tax (IBI) and community fees are paid up to date, so you don't inherit a debt attached to the property.
NIE & Documentation Support
Working alongside our mortgage team on your NIE application and the paperwork foreign buyers need at each stage of the purchase.
Notary & Completion Coordination
Liaising directly with the notary ahead of completion (the escritura pública), so signing day is straightforward rather than stressful.
Land Registry Registration
Registering your new ownership at the Land Registry after completion, and handling the administrative steps that follow.
The Process
How Conveyancing Fits Around Your Mortgage
The legal side of your purchase runs alongside your mortgage case, not as a separate track you have to manage yourself.
- Initial review of the property and your purchase plans, alongside your mortgage assessment.
- Due diligence on the property — title, charges, debts and planning status.
- Review and negotiation of the purchase contract (arras) before you sign.
- Coordination between your legal and mortgage files as the case progresses.
- Completion at the notary, with legal and mortgage documentation prepared together.
- Registration of your ownership at the Land Registry after completion.
One Team, Not Two Separate Firms
A Genuine One-Stop Shop
Buying property in Spain usually means arranging a mortgage broker and a lawyer separately — two relationships, two firms that have often never worked together, with the buyer left to coordinate between them. That's not how we think it should work. With legal services integrated directly into FCG, mortgage and legal sit under the same roof, coordinated by one team, from your first enquiry through to completion. Fewer handoffs, fewer surprises, and people who are actually working for you, together.
Meet the Team
One Team, From Founder to Completion
Alberto leads FCG as a whole, David heads the legal department with over 20 years' experience as a real estate lawyer, and Mike runs the mortgage side of your case — all three working from the same file, not separate ones.
David Jiménez Palomar
Head of Legal Services
A member of the Granada Bar Association (Colegio de Abogados de Granada, Nº 7904), David brings over 20 years' experience as a real estate lawyer to FCG's conveyancing and property purchase legal services.
Mike Brady
Senior Mortgage Advisor
Mike coordinates the mortgage side of your case directly with David's team, so legal and financing progress together rather than on two separate timelines.
No Obligation
Start With a Free
Mortgage & Legal Review
Tell us about your purchase and we'll tell you exactly what's involved — on both the financing and the legal side — before you commit to anything.
