Do I really need a solicitor?
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Do I really need a solicitor?
I am getting conflicting advice as to whether I really need a solicitor for the cash purchase of an apartment in Umbria...
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
#2
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Verona/ Nr Turin
Posts: 4,671
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
I am getting conflicting advice as to whether I really need a solicitor for the cash purchase of an apartment in Umbria...
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
Thanks Concierge, but no, I meant an English/Italian speaking solicitor as well as the Notary. I know I have to have the Notary..
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
Exactly! Thanks for that... This was suggested by the Agent in the UK, but I think he's recommending a 'friend', so hoping for a back-hander maybe!
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Roma
Posts: 338
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
I've heard the advice for foreigners buying in Italy to use an English speaking solicitor as well but I think it applies mainly to foreigners who don't speak Italian. It seems like silly advice to me as solicitors are expensive and if you need a translator just get a translator.
Also here in Italy 'conveyancing' is done by the notaio rather than a solicitor as others have noted.
Also here in Italy 'conveyancing' is done by the notaio rather than a solicitor as others have noted.
#7
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
I am getting conflicting advice as to whether I really need a solicitor for the cash purchase of an apartment in Umbria...
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
As in France & unlike the UK, surely the Agent and the Notary do most of the work? I am hearing of horror stories where solicitors are charging up to €5,000 for doing... not a lot! I can't afford that sort of money... Others advise that it is not really necessary, so I am unsure what to do. I do speak & understand Italian, though not all the 'legal jargon', so I accept I will need an interpretor at completion.
All advice welcome (including 'cheap' solicitors if definitely required!).
#8
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
Wonderful advice... So glad I signed up for this forum/web site! Thanks to all.
#9
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
It all goes a bit quiet in the summer but plenty of us still check in to give advice, bitch, moan or just have a laugh and share things.
There is a great bunch of people on here, really.
#10
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
Savycat, we did not get a solicitor but an English speaking Notaio. Although we both speak decent Italian, we thought it would help with certain terms to hire an English speaking notary.
He also translated the Rogito in English.
He also translated the Rogito in English.
#11
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
That's good. Nobody offered me any extra help or advice or translations ...... but I never asked for any and I presume that they just figured my Italian OH would explain anything to me that I couldn't or didn't understand. Turns out I asked more questions than he did being the untrusting, cynical foreigner that I am.
#12
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
[QUOTE=Lorna at Vicenza;10132957]That's good. Nobody offered me any extra help or advice or translations ...... but I never asked for any and I presume that they just figured my Italian OH would explain anything to me that I couldn't or didn't understand. Turns out I asked more questions than he did being the untrusting, cynical foreigner that I am.[/QUOTE]
Funny that, I also behave as the untrusting cynical foreigner, it must be a defence mechanism.
Funny that, I also behave as the untrusting cynical foreigner, it must be a defence mechanism.
#13
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
[QUOTE=Isakat;10132974]
It is funny ... not in the ha ha sense.
There are times when I just trusted on instinct and it worked out. Other times I have been a little naieve and been burnt. Now, now I guess I am more cynical - or older or not Italian and I want to make bloody sure what I'm getting into.
The odd thing with buying the house was that even though OH is Italian, he'd never really seen or signed any kind of contract in his life apart from simple work ones but I'd be doing it for years at work. Foreigner as I am, I knew more legal blurb than him.
That's good. Nobody offered me any extra help or advice or translations ...... but I never asked for any and I presume that they just figured my Italian OH would explain anything to me that I couldn't or didn't understand. Turns out I asked more questions than he did being the untrusting, cynical foreigner that I am.[/QUOTE]
Funny that, I also behave as the untrusting cynical foreigner, it must be a defence mechanism.
Funny that, I also behave as the untrusting cynical foreigner, it must be a defence mechanism.
There are times when I just trusted on instinct and it worked out. Other times I have been a little naieve and been burnt. Now, now I guess I am more cynical - or older or not Italian and I want to make bloody sure what I'm getting into.
The odd thing with buying the house was that even though OH is Italian, he'd never really seen or signed any kind of contract in his life apart from simple work ones but I'd be doing it for years at work. Foreigner as I am, I knew more legal blurb than him.
#14
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Verona/ Nr Turin
Posts: 4,671
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
It was easier for us. OH did the preliminary. We were happy to use the other party's notary because he was also a client of OH. He'd already done the inheritance on the apartment so had all the documents. He read out the contract, but no one asked about my level of Italian. We had a mortgage lined up, but didn't need it.
#15
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Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 38
Re: Do I really need a solicitor?
Isakat... How did you find your English speaking Notaio, search, or was he/she recommended?