When and why did you open your company in Tavira?

 The business actually began in 1993, although the company was only founded in 2000. I decided to settle in Tavira  because I had my roots here and because, although there were other opportunities, I chose to take advantage of the growing  development of our region.
 

 What legal services do you offer to your clients?
 Although we do handle all areas of law, it is the law of property, commerce and administration that occupies a good part of our  company time. However, we also spend a considerable amount of time on civil and penal questions. These too  have more and  more to do with mediation in disputes, or rather, the application of preventative law, finding common  agreement and avoiding  recourse to a court judgement.

 What is different or special about the service you provide?
 It is always difficult to assess yourself but I believe that the hallmark of our services is our professional approach and our  readiness to resolve any practical problem or situation, as much through our own methods as though those of our staff.

 From a legal perspective what advice would you give to anyone thinking of coming to live, or invest here?
 I would say that, from the beginning, they should ask for the help of professionals on property and legal issues and put their  trust in the system and the professionals.

 Can you talk us through the legal process of acquiring a property in Portugal?
 In a few words, I would say that the process of ownership begins with the drawing up of a promissory contract of sale and  purchase, which is evidenced by a payment in the order of 10-30% of the value of the purchase. This contract ties in the  parties to complete the transaction, and serves also to fix a time limit for the signing of the deeds, which reaches its  celebratory completion in the presence of the Notary, when ownership is transferred. After the deeds are signed, the process  is concluded with the settling of finances and the recording of the purchase with the local office of Property Registrations.

 What are the potential legal problems in buying a plot and building a house in Portugal?
 In the purchase of a plot of building land, it is whether the plot has been designated as building land and to check on what you  are allowed to build on that site, leaving the consultation with the respective District Council to an architect if possible.  Subsequently, there is the safeguarding of the construction by means of a signed contract with the building company, where  besides price, payment stages, construction stages, and any delay penalties, there should be separated out all the work and  respective materials included in the construction, with the effect that we have recourse to a written record as a constant  reminder of the approved project, which should be as complete as possible.

 Do you deal with all nationalities, and are there any noticeable differences in their expectations?
 Yes, apart from Portuguese clients, our portfolio of clients is essentially English, Irish, Spanish and Swedish. There are indeed  some differences in the way they approach transactions. Nevertheless, these differences are just a consequence of the  different ways that each of these nationalities deals with their work, leisure and family, in short, how they live their lives. All  have their good and bad points, like everything else in life.

 How do you ensure you are providing continuously improving advice and service to your customers?
 From the start, we try to maintain close contact with our clients. We have confidence in the quality of our set up, in the  creation of an atmosphere of trust, in the efficiency of our staff, in ongoing training and development, in new technology and in  the provision of a comprehensive service in respect of property transactions (From the initial advice, through the promissory  contract, up to the final contracts for the supply of water and electric). Soon our clients will be able to access, via the net, the  status of their file and current account and will have the facility to contact us via this method, all without any additional costs.  

 How do you keep up to date with the constant changes in legislation?
 This is indeed one of the most difficult tasks. Nevertheless, in a company of information and new technology, having these new  tools allows us to access all the latest developments, not only in legislation but also education and jurisprudence.

 Do you have any standard charges or is all your work priced individually? Do you ever give any free advice?
 There is in fact a list of charges that we go by. Nevertheless, because all cases are different, we have to consider all the  variables that come with each case; degree of difficulty, economic interest in the case, time spent in studying the subject, the  result achieved for the client and also the social and economic circumstances of the clients themselves. It is therefore difficult  to have an exact rule for the collection of fees. Free advice is an ongoing part of our activities. In fact, this should be seen as a  fulfillment of a civic and professional duty that we owe to our citizens. The first approach in our case, and on most occasions,  is effectively free of charge and without obligations.

 What has given you the greatest satisfaction in your dealings with your clients?
 The greatest satisfaction is that many of our clients become personal friends. It is a fact that gives me much pleasure.

 If you had your time over again, would you choose the legal profession for your career?
 The question is hypothetical but I am sure that the answer is yes.