Solicitor Costa Blanca — English-Speaking Legal Services Since 1992
Tomas Ballestero Lawyers has acted as solicitor for British and international clients on the Costa Blanca since 1992. From our office at Avenida del Pla 126 in Jávea (Xàbia), we handle property conveyancing, wills, inheritance and family matters for clients across Jávea, Dénia, Moraira, Benitachell, Benissa, Calpe and the wider Marina Alta — as well as Valencia.
With more than thirty years of practice and over 74 verified five-star Google reviews, we are one of the longest-established independent firms serving the English-speaking community on this coast.
What a Spanish Solicitor Actually Does
If you are used to the British system, it helps to know that Spanish legal practice is structured differently. In Spain, the professional who performs the work an English solicitor would do is called an abogado — a lawyer admitted to the local Bar (Colegio de Abogados). The notary, by contrast, is a public official who witnesses and authenticates the deed; the notary does not act for you, does not check that the property is free of debt, and does not advise you on whether the purchase is safe.
This distinction matters. Many buyers assume the notary protects their interests. The notary’s duty is to the document, not to you. Independent legal representation is what protects the buyer — and it is the single most important decision in a Spanish property transaction.
Property Conveyancing on the Costa Blanca
We manage the whole purchase or sale from start to finish:
- Land Registry and title checks — confirming who legally owns the property, and that what is registered matches what is built
- Debt and charge searches — outstanding mortgages, unpaid community fees, IBI arrears, embargoes
- Planning and licence verification — first occupation licence, building legality, rural land classification, pool and extension permissions
- Deposit contract (contrato de arras) — drafted or reviewed before you commit any money
- NIE applications and Spanish bank account arrangements
- Completion at the notary — attending on your behalf under Power of Attorney if you cannot travel
- Post-completion — Land Registry inscription, tax filings, SUMA and community registration
Clients who cannot be in Spain for completion routinely instruct us under Power of Attorney. We arrange the document through a notary in your home country with the Hague Apostille, so the transaction proceeds without you needing to fly out.
Wills and Inheritance
Since EU Regulation 650/2012, a foreign national with assets in Spain may elect the law of their nationality to govern their succession. For a British citizen this can be decisive — it determines whether Spanish forced heirship rules apply to your estate or whether you retain full testamentary freedom.
We prepare Spanish wills that sit alongside your existing will at home without revoking it, and we handle probate for heirs after a death: obtaining the death certificate and Last Will registry certificate, preparing the deed of acceptance, calculating and filing Inheritance Tax (ISD) within the six-month deadline, and registering the inherited property in the heirs’ names.
The Valencian Community applies substantial reductions for close relatives, which in many estates reduces the tax payable to a small fraction of what heirs initially fear. Getting the filing right, and on time, is what preserves those reliefs.
Areas We Cover
Our Jávea office serves clients throughout the northern Costa Blanca: Jávea (Xàbia), Dénia, Moraira, Teulada, Benitachell, Benissa, Calpe, Altea and Pedreguer. We also act for clients in Alicante and Valencia, where the firm was originally founded in 1992.
Languages
We work with clients in English, French and Spanish. Our correspondence, contracts and explanations are provided in English, French or Spanish, so you understand precisely what you are signing before you sign it.
Why Clients Choose Us
- Established 1992 — over three decades of continuous practice in Spanish property and succession law
- Genuinely independent — we act for you, not for the estate agent or the developer
- 74+ verified five-star reviews from British, Dutch, French, German and American clients
- Fixed, transparent fees agreed before we start
- Direct access to your lawyer — you deal with the person handling your file
Can’t Travel to Spain? Act Through a Power of Attorney
You do not need to be in Spain to buy, sell or inherit. A Power of Attorney (poder notarial) signed before a notary in your own country, with the Hague Apostille, allows us to act for you at the Spanish notary, the bank, the Land Registry and the tax office. We prepare the wording, send it to your notary, and handle everything from here.
📄 Request a Power of Attorney
🏠 Buying or Selling a Property
⚖️ Inheritance & Wills
Speak to a Solicitor on the Costa Blanca
Initial consultations are free and without obligation. Whether you are buying a villa in Jávea, selling an apartment in Calpe, making a Spanish will or dealing with an inheritance after a bereavement, we will tell you plainly where you stand.
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📞 +34 965 79 29 46
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Tomas Ballestero Lawyers
Avenida del Pla 126, 2º, puertas 28 A y B
03730 Jávea (Xàbia), Alicante — Spain
Tel: +34 965 79 29 46 | Mobile / WhatsApp: +34 607 320 768
Email: [email protected]
