I did not have good experiences with Portuguese lawyers. At the start of signing, they will say we will be responsive, and things will be done quickly. As soon as the initial money is paid, the time of getting the response back gets delayed email by email. Both of the lawyers said they are good at applying for Golden visas, but when it comes to confirming the property is OK for a Golden visa, they have no idea how things work and what documents are needed from the developer and are not replying asap. By the time property is out of the market. I am looking for a lawyer who he/she responsive + Knows tricks on how to get the application approved + Which documents are really needed from a property point of view (If the property is under construction and it is touristic property). In short, a lawyer knows how to get things done rather than follow the book.
I know that nomadgate has some recommended lawyers, one of them I already worked with one of them and did not have a good experience at all.
Sometimes I am worried that even after paying the lawyer, I am getting this kind of service. What if my application gets stuck in the Golden visa process?
Please let me know if anyone knows a good lawyer with good experience and just does not follow the steps in the book.
IMHO you’re mixing up two roles - an immigration lawyer and a real estate agent.
A real estate agent can see whether the property is okay to buy and helps you with the process of buying it.
An immigration lawyer can see if the documents are alright for your visa application. They include property ownership documents.
Personally, I’d be afraid of one-stop-shop firms that do everything for you. In my experience they do the same as 2 persons but charge at least 2-5 times more, sometimes 10-20 times more.
Thanks for the response. The issue is if you buy property directly from the developer (No middle man or even estate agent), the lawyer has to make sure the documents are correct for the Golden visa process. Ex: The property is from a low-density area and is Touristic property. If this bit is not correct then you have the issue for GV. If any property is under construction and it is Touristic property then the developer will not get a Tourist license only after completion of the whole development. The developer has a construction license for a touristic resort and the approved tourist project and is ready to provide a legal promissory contract of a property for GV process.
My Lawyer says that that is not enough and wants an approved Tourist license. I do not know who is correct and who is not. The lawyer is very inconsistent with replies and never replies on time and that is I am looking for a lawyer who knows what documents are needed for GV and he must be responsive.
I see your point, alright. As a general rule, I’d trust the lawyer not the developer since the first thinks about your visa and the second about his sale In any case, I think any lawyer should be 100% clear in what exactly the documents should look like. Perhaps in this case it’s better to consult with multiple lawyers?
I can recommend my own lawyer as she is a good lawyer, but reply times… depend on the urgency of the issue. I can definitely day that she will not reply the same day or even few days if it’s about checking the documents. Waiting times here in Portugal are not what some people might expect. Usually, because people don’t want to work. In case of lawyers like her, it’s because too much work She is located in Lisbon.
I’ve also had contact with Leonor Monteiro from Martineze Chevarria, I didn’t want to work with her (didn’t like the attitude and the price) but I think she’s professional though, she did list all the requirements with decent amount of details when we first met. She is located in Porto.
I used Golden Citizen Solutions. I give them high marks. They are a full service entity out of Lisboa. There have been a lot of changes to what qualifies for the GV. My buyer’s agent was one of the smartest persons I have encountered in this process. He’s a former lawyer who acted solely as an agent but knew as much of not more than the lawyers who are provided separately to perform due diligence that the property qualifies.
Over in the thread on Investment fund selection there was a google doc with a list of attorneys that various people had used. BTW I think the slowness of response is a cultural thing. The pace of things is slower in Portugal, if there something important that IS time sensitive, then they communicate. If they perceived is merely a '… talk to me so I feel better " type of email that you send , they might not respond
In any case, I think any lawyer should be 100% clear in what exactly the documents should look like. Perhaps in this case it’s better to consult with multiple lawyers?