Yvonne Vidal is well suited to understanding the issues that foreigners can encounter when coming to live or work in Spain. A daughter of Spanish parents, yet born and educated in the UK, during her 40-year career, she has worked for Spanish administration, the British Embassy as well as in private industry.
During the interview, Yvonne points out that Spain is a fantastic country that welcomes people from all countries to come and live or use as their base work to work from; however, for foreigners, the practicality of doing so can seem overwhelming.
This is not only because of the language disparity but also due to the inherent cultural differences.
One simple example relates to working hours; for example, in Spain, the morning is generally considered to last until 2 p.m. and the afternoon to 8 p.m., whereas generally, the morning in northern Europe only lasts until 12 a.m. and the afternoon until 6 p.m. This can cause havoc if you are a northern European trying to organise your daily schedule.
But beyond that, there are more serious issues, often because the required procedures and paperwork were not handled diligently in the first place.
Yvonne Vidal gives two examples in particular in the interview:
- a case in which the seller of a car remained liable for speeding fines because the paperwork remained in his name even though he had sold the car. After three years of trying to rectify the situation, he could still not find a way to have the paperwork changed from his name to the buyer’s name.
- a case in which the buyer of a property would not have been able to legally rent out the property on a short-term basis. This was because the first occupation licence, issued at the time of construction, had been lost and there seemed to be no way to obtain a copy.
Yvonne also discusses her company, My Legal PA Associates, based in Marbella.
She notes that many foreigners who come to Spain end up contracting services from a variety of different professionals, who often do not liaise with each other. It can become overwhelming for the client to know to whom to turn.
My Legal PA Associates was conceived to address this problem.
With a number of in-house professionals and a network of strategic connections throughout Spain, Vidal’s firm offers a one-stop service covering all of her clients’ administrative, legal, fiscal, and consultancy requirements.
Whether it is a young family looking to build or buy a new home, an entrepreneur considering starting a business, or a retired couple looking to relocate to Spain, My Legal PA Associates can guide and assist.
As Yvonne states, “The concept of cradle to grave is fundamental for us. Clients can count on My Legal PA Associates at any stage of their life, from the registration of the birth of a child to resolving the complex legal and fiscal issues of an inheritance, without having to constantly look for a different firm.”
Click here to read the interview with Yvonne Vidal on Business Innovators Magazine.
If you would like advice regarding any of the services offered by My Legal PA Associates in Marbella, please contact Yvonne Vidal by telephone on +34 952 810 391 or +34 696 166 338 or by email info@mylegalpaassociates.com or visit their website www.mylegalpaassociates.com.