Solicitor/Lawyer fees on conveyancing matters

As a consequence of the recession, many lawyers are willing to do conveyancing for fixed/flat fees and not apply the standard scale fee of 1% + VAT.

It would be good to hear what level of fees people are negotiating and if we are really seeing value for money!

Also anyone buying/selling should shop around but you need to be careful and clarify what is/not included - no point having a cheap headline rate and being fleeced on extras such as POAs, NIE applications or reclaiming capital gains tax retentions etc.

Also I would love to hear a spanish lawyer explain the following:

House price - EUR250,000 => Fee = EUR2,500 + VAT

House price - EUR500,000 => Fee = EUR5,000 + VAT

Question - what extra work do you do for the higher fee or how do you justify it other than to say it's because the colegio publish scale fees and we have to charge you what they say!!!!!

I would welcome lawyers/conveyancers to respond and to say what fees they charge and what service is included for that fee etc - ok it's advertising but if competitive then that's what's important.

Legal fees seems to vary widely ................................................

It was a kind of custome to use the 1% fee for conveyancing in the past. Nothing which is expressed in our Fee catalogue. According to the Fee catalogue there will be a fee fo each one of these items. The Bar Catalogue mentions a minimum that lawyers are allowed to increase:

- Deposit contract drafing

- Private contract drafting

- Communciations with parties

- Revision of Notary deed

- Attendance at the Notary for signing

- Calculation of taxes to be paid

- Payment or transfer taxes

- Registration of the property in the Land Registry

- Verification of clear Nota Simple after registration.

- Hiring of power supplies

This all added can be less or more than the usual 1%. You can always choose.

Not like I know much about this but from what i understand there is a minimum they can charge but if a client agrees to moore than he will pay moore.

Cheaper is not always better!

Some pizzerias charge €5 for a pizza and some €12

So i guess my moto is "if you are happy with the price than pay it"

Hi Maria

Thanks for input and clarifying the baremo with regards to conveyancing which I will admit to not having read.

But if you look at many of the Spanish law firm websites targeting UK buyers most charge 1% + VAT with some charging 1.5% + VAT and many in the past would not entertain discussions on less for properties below EUR500k.

I am sure most buyers on this site paid the standard 1% + VAT ?

I started this thread really to show buyer/ssellers that you don't have to pay the standard headline rate and I am also hoping some firms will say what they consider to be a reasonable fee for routine conveyancing matters regardless of the value of the property.

Also extranjeros pay more than Spanish clients and that could be a whole new thread!