English-speaking contract lawyer in Valencia, Spain
I’m Miriam Acerete, a lawyer registered with the Valencia Bar (ICAV no. 20213), and I work in English. If you have been handed a contract written in Spanish, I review it and explain it to you in English before you sign — and take firm action if it is breached.
When it pays to have your contract reviewed
If any of these sound familiar, let’s talkSomeone has sent you a contract in Spanish and you do not know exactly what you are signing.
You work with clients without your own contract and have already had a scare.
The other side has breached the contract and you want to know what you can demand.
Contracts I review in English for foreigners in Spain
These are the contracts foreigners sign most often in Valencia. They are usually written in Spanish, and what matters is rarely in the summary you are given. For each one, this is what I look at.
Property purchase and arras contracts
What I check. Who is selling and whether they can sell, the price and payment schedule, the type of arras and what happens if either side pulls out, the conditions (mortgage approval, cancelling charges), the completion date and who pays each cost.
Typical risks I look for. Arras that leave the penalty only on your side, no way out if the mortgage is refused, and charges or debts not cleared before completion. More on buying property in Valencia and the due diligence checks.
Tenancy agreements, as landlord or tenant
What I check. Duration and renewals, rent and how it is updated, the deposit and any extra guarantees, who pays community fees, local tax, utilities and repairs, notice and termination, and the inventory of the property.
Typical risks I look for. Clauses the Spanish tenancy rules do not allow, repairs left unclear, no inventory, and a short-term let used for what is really a main home — the rules differ.
Building works and renovations
What I check. A detailed description of the work and the budget, payment by stages, the deadline and penalties for delay, who obtains the licences, the warranty on the work and how extras are approved.
Typical risks I look for. A large payment up front, no fixed deadline, extras agreed by phone and nothing said about licences.
Contracts with Spanish companies or self-employed professionals
What I check. Scope, price and payment terms, limits on liability, automatic renewals, how to end the contract, which law applies and which courts decide, and which language version prevails.
Typical risks I look for. Renewals that roll over without notice, unlimited liability on your side, disputes sent to courts far from you, and a Spanish version that prevails over the English one you were given.
Professional services and freelance contracts
What I check. Deliverables and scope, fees and payment, who owns the intellectual property, confidentiality, non-compete clauses, data protection and termination.
Typical risks I look for. Rights to your work transferred before you are paid, a scope with no limits, and non-compete clauses broader than the job.
How a contract review works
You send me the contract
By email, as a PDF or even photos — in Spanish, English or both languages — with a couple of lines on what worries you.
I give you a written report
In English: the points of risk, what is missing and what I would change, in plain words.
We go through it on a video call
You ask everything you need and decide. If you want, I negotiate the changes with the other side. You always deal with me.
Contract FAQs
Can you review a contract written in Spanish and explain it in English?+
Yes. That is most of my work with foreign clients: I read the Spanish original — which is usually the version that counts — and explain in English what it says, what it leaves out and what I would change before you sign.
Do I need a sworn translation?+
Usually not to understand or negotiate a contract: for that, my explanation in English is enough. A sworn translation (traducción jurada) is an official translation by a sworn translator, needed when a document has to be filed with a court, a notary, the Land Registry or a public authority. Sworn translators are hired privately by the client; I do not translate, but I can put you in touch with sworn translators.
How long does a review take?+
Usually between 24 and 48 hours, depending on how complex and urgent it is. In any case, I confirm the turnaround before I start, so you know it fits your signing date.
Can we do everything online?+
Yes. You send the contract by email, I send you the report in writing and we go through it by video call. If something has to be signed before a Spanish notary, we can arrange it with a power of attorney or I go with you.
How much does a contract review cost?+
The first consultation costs €100. For the review itself, you get a fixed written quote before we start.
Can I use a template from the internet?+
To get started, better than nothing; to work seriously, no. Templates do not cover how you get paid, what happens if the client vanishes mid-project, or who owns what you deliver. Adapting one to your business is quick and heads off exactly the disputes that keep recurring.
What should I check before signing?+
Subject matter and scope, price and payment terms, deadlines, penalties, intellectual property, data protection, grounds for termination, and which court decides if there is a dispute. If any of that is missing, the contract is incomplete.
What if we have both already breached the contract?+
We look at who breached first and what the real damage is. Often the most profitable way out is to negotiate an orderly termination before neither side has a clean claim left.
Tell me about your case and I’ll tell you where to start
We talk with no commitment and no legalese, in English or Spanish, by video call or in person in Valencia.
When something important is being decided, there is already plenty at stake. My job is to keep the paperwork and the hard decisions from becoming a problem of their own.
Miriam Acerete — ICAV member no. 20213