Tenerife Law - explanation of legal terms

Anyone wishing to delve into the ins and outs of Tenerife law will undoubtably be faced with a bewildering array of Spanish words being applied to various members of the legal profession. They always confused me and, no doubt, they do the same for you.

Here, I'll attempt to list all the different terms applied to what are, essentially, legal practitioners of various kinds and explain them a bit.

The Abogado

Until I was looking into this subject, I'd never really heard of this word, which is strange, since this is the Spanish translation of "lawyer", or "solicitor". They work in pretty much the same way as any other country.

English/English speaking lawyers in Tenerife

The Procurador

Whereas the abogado gives legal advice, the procurador will represent you in court and, I suppose, is more the equivalent of the barrister in the UK or the attorney in the USA.

English speaking attorneys in Tenerife

The Notario

The function of notarios is to legalise documents in such transactions as the purchase of property.

Notaries in Tenerife

The Gestoria

Meaning, literally, "agency", this term is usually short for gestoria administrativa, or "administrative agency". Companies with this title specialise in obtaining official documents such as licences, permits or authorisations.

Gestorias in Tenerife

The Asesoria

The appropriate type of asesoria here is the asesoria fiscal. The word literally means "consultation" and, coupled with the word fiscal refers to companies offering advice on tax matters. I suppose the closest equivalent in other countries is "accountant", or "financial advisor".

English speaking asesorias in Tenerife

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