Gecko Towers
There is a trusted mantra used by those experienced in delivering constantly good professional client services: “Do a great job and the client will tell one person, do a bad job and the client will tell ten people!”
In a smallish market, where there is healthy competition to secure the representation of new clients, is there a substitute for “Word of Mouth” referrals? The simple answer is yes.
“My Lawyer is the Best in Town!”
At some point in your property buying journey you’ll need a good independent, experience-qualified and bi-lingual Abogado to advise you in Marbella. I expect you’ll have heard from someone at your sports club, a current property owning friend that his/her Abogado is the “Best Lawyer in Town!“. Certainly, a highly subjective assessment. How can they possibly know that their Abogado really ticks all your required boxes?
I’d be interested to hear of any disastrous experience with Abogados in Marbella that has resulted from relying on the word of a connection, whoever that may be?
Is there a simple way to be regarded as “the Best Lawyer in Town”?
There is …..be the cheapest in the market. Pile it high and sell it cheap! Few people will complain about paying the lowest price for a service, though essential, is not usually cheap. A law firm doing it on the cheap will need to have has a factory approach to client representation. Open plan offices with fields of para-legals beavering away. The firm will need to appear to be the busiest in town. Surely being swamped with clients is testament to the stellar abilities of their law firm?
Well, .. er… no … because the inevitable result – like the cut price conveyancing boom in the UK in the 1990’s – was that the voluminous transactional work was delegated to a para-legal, who may or may not have a law degree, and unsatisfactorily “overseen” by a qualified lawyer. Client communication was kept to a bare minimum and any variation to reflect a client’s unique circumstances was severely limited.
In the UK the cut-price conveyancing boom was a disaster. Many law firms went belly up and all Solicitors ended up bailing out the offenders – and fellow members of the Law Society – by way of a massive hike in their Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Trust me, the above strategy, will never secure a conscientious, best practice, holistic approach to the delivery of professional services and client representation. It simply cannot afford to.
So who can you trust?
Until the equivalent of and entirely objective Trust Pilot – or a similar aggregated scoring system – is established for the providers of professional legal services in the Marbella real estate market, who can you rely on? The answer is, I am afraid, that you simply need to rely your own instincts.
Please see here some previous posts that address the importance of the right Abogado being on your team. Your Abogado – A Vital Relationship and Some questions for your Abogado
Do not overlook the importance of meeting a couple of firms of Abogados, asking probing questions and deciding for yourself who you believe to be the most trustworthy, approachable and dedicated. You are paying handsomely for their expertise and you should, at the very least, expect a good level of communication and service.
But my Lawyer has won awards?
Whether it’s an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy or a Tony, awards tend to be given for past performance. As financial planning products usually state “Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.” If your lawyer’s office shelves groan with numerous gongs, I know you are not going to be impressed!
I cannot overstate the vital role occupied by your trusted Abogado in your Marbella property purchase (or sale) and getting this relationship right is essential to instill faith in you, the client.
It does involve some effort on your part and you do need to proactively approach the search for your Abogado. The Marbella property market for many is very alien and you really do need a solid, dependable and responsive advisor to steer you with confidence through the nuances of the unusual process. Get it right and you’ll emerge relaxed and happy with your investment. Get it wrong and you’ll fret that you have courted disaster and brim over with “buyer’s regret”.
Let’s start a conversation aimed at exploring what you are looking for and what you may need. I have been in your shoes and despite my own professional training I needed to place my trust in the hands of a local Marbella Abogado to secure my dream home.
Should you be interested in discussing the process involved in buying a property in the Marbella region, we would be delighted to assist you. As and when you are ready to progress with your search please contact me to discuss your precise requirements.
We are not estate agents, but we work with some hard-working and reputable ones.
We have a multi-disciplinary team of bi-lingual, highly experienced and wholly independent Abogados (Spanish Lawyers) and Asesores Fiscales (Tax Accountants) ready to help you.
Please note that our posts are for general interest. There is no substitute for proper advice tailored to your specific circumstances as provided by a qualified Abogado who is experienced in the application of the Spanish Law. Nothing contained in this article should be seen or taken as the writer or the publisher providing legal, tax or financial advice. All details have been reasonably fact-checked and all efforts have been taken to ensure that facts are accurate as at the date of publication.
My details: Mark FR Wilkins, during usual business hours on +34 600 343 917 or e-mail me at mark@biznagapartners.com
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