# Lawyer or no lawyer?



## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

I am about to purchase an apartment in the city of Porto which I found advertised on a major/large realtor website. 
I have an excellent realtor in Porto guiding the process. It is not his listing and he is with a large International realty firm. He expressed surprise when I spoke of having a lawyer as well as the Notary. He was not opposed at all but in his lengthy experience he has found it unnecessary in buying / selling in Porto. 
So, is a lawyer important / essential? I have heard horror stories from other European countries (not naming!) ... so am a bit betwixt on the issue.
Any input?


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## Gonzo393 (Jan 13, 2019)

I completed last week on a property we viewed back in December. We had gone purely to view and didn't expect to end up buying anything.

As a result we had no lawyer lined up. The estate agency explained this was not a problem as it was not necessary in Portugal. Fantastic we thought!

Once we knew the offer had been accepted, by pure chance we bumped into an ex pat in the same village.

He was 2 years ahead of us in the process and had used the same estate agency.

His words of advice proved invaluable. Get a lawyer he said. Your estate agent are crooks he said. He gave us the details of the one he used. It was one of the best 500 euros we spent. 

Id advise everyone to do likewise when buying in Portugal even though it isn't necessary.

Good luck whatever you decide. Porto is a wonderful city. One of my favourites.

Cheers, Gonz


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Macroomite said:


> I am about to purchase an apartment in the city of Porto which I found advertised on a major/large realtor website.
> I have an excellent realtor in Porto guiding the process. It is not his listing and he is with a large International realty firm. He expressed surprise when I spoke of having a lawyer as well as the Notary. He was not opposed at all but in his lengthy experience he has found it unnecessary in buying / selling in Porto.
> So, is a lawyer important / essential? I have heard horror stories from other European countries (not naming!) ... so am a bit betwixt on the issue.
> Any input?


An estate agent here is acting on the seller's behalf not yours & if he's telling you that you don't need a lawyer, he's BSing you. 

Inheritance laws here are horrendously complicated & there's no end of stories of new immigrants being ripped off especially in this regard. 

My advice is that you definitely use a lawyer, NEVER use a lawyer recommended by the seller or agent & NEVER sign anything or part with a cent until your lawyer has checked everything & given you the go ahead. 

And bearing in mind what the agent has told you, I'd say be especially wary of ant property he shows you. 

Oh & also be especially wary of the international firms because they're often franchise based & often less than honest. There are at least 2 that have dreadful reputations for dishonesty. One starts with the letter R & the other E.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I made the comment below a day or two ago on a different thread here but it applies equally to this situation so have pasted it here as well. 

Just in my immediate area over the last year or so I know of 3 purchases where the buyers thought they had bought house & land but in fact had bought house only & no land whatsoever, one ruin that had sat on the market unsold for decades with an asking price of under €5k & was suddenly sold for 10 times the asking price (to a new immigrant) 2 where the buyer was scammed into paying the agent(s) €6k & €7.5k 'commission' & 1 where someone thought they'd bought the entire property but has now discovered another owner exists.

And then there's the murky world of 'immigration assistants' types that gleefully & obscenely overcharge new immigrants to get them their new documents such as NIF & Residencias & help them with car matriculation.

The sharks are always circling. "


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## Macroomite (Jan 16, 2016)

*Real Estate lawyer in Porto city*

Thanks so much for your input - much appreciated. 
Can anyone recommend a good lawyer in Porto city for the purchase of an apartment with mortgage?


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## lisapull (Jul 14, 2021)

You don't need to save money for a real estate lawyer


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## lisapull (Jul 14, 2021)

Purchasing the property is a rather impotent and responsible step, so you must very well analyze both the personality of the real estate agent and the history of the property. By the way, for this transaction you will need not only a lawyer who will check the history of the property, so that it is not tainted, but also a lawyer who will ensure the legality of the sale and purchase transaction. Real estate agents are not lawyers and they do not know all the details unfortunately. I personally in case I need advice from lawyers from different areas of jurisprudence I turn to waymanandlong.co.uk, they have a strong and professional team


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## John and Cecil (Dec 22, 2019)

I agree with traveling-man, the real estate market here is a cesspool. You certainly do not want to sign or buy anything until you have a lawyer who you can trust will represent your interests. Avoid working with any professionals recommended by the real estate agent. I have found many problems with the local real estate agencies here, however when I tried using international agencies even more problems surfaced (like "blocking" offers). Perhaps in the USA someone can buy a home without a lawyer, especially since there they offer title insurance (which they do not offer here) and some areas have escrow services. Also, it takes many months if not years to study the real estate market here and determine true market value (because actual home sales prices are hidden from the public). Buying real estate here is a very risky endeavor, unless you are very well prepared I suggest looking for a rental instead.


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## hktoportugal (Feb 25, 2019)

We bought three properties in Portugal in the last four years without a lawyer. No problems whatsoever. But I would add that these were all brand new properties that we bought from reputable builders (they were all off-plan). I would be more hesitant to purchase without a lawyer if they are older properties and even more so when they are in areas of the country that are more rural.


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